The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, finance and sell participations. The company may enter into any business and conclude any contracts that are suitable to promote the purpose of the company or that are directly or indirectly related thereto, establish branch offices in Switzerland and abroad, buy and sell real estate, participate in or merge with other companies, and acquire and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad. The company is part of a group and may consider the interests of the group in pursuing its corporate purpose. In particular, the company may grant loans and other direct or indirect financing to its direct and indirect subsidiaries and third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and their direct and indirect subsidiaries, including within the framework of cash pooling agreements, and provide security of any kind for their liabilities, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers or assignments of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind. This also without consideration, on preferential terms, without interest, to the exclusion of the company's profitability and assuming cluster risks.