The purpose of the Company is the acquisition, holding, management and realization of financial assets belonging to the Company, excluding any commercial activity and any activity falling within the scope of the Federal Act on Financial Services and/or the Federal Act on Financial Institutions. The Company also has the purpose of taking participations in any form in other Swiss or foreign companies, excluding participations in any companies whose purpose is the acquisition of residential properties in Switzerland. In the course of its activities, the Company may grant loans, advances and guarantees to its shareholder(s) and, when the Company's shares are held by one or more parent companies, the shareholders of the parent company(ies), as well as to the companies and shareholders of the said companies in which it has a direct or indirect participation, borrow with or without guarantee, or act as guarantor for other legal and natural persons, subject to the applicable legal provisions. The Company may subsequently carry out any operation directly or indirectly related to the aforementioned purpose.