The company's purpose is to provide financial advice and to hold direct or indirect participations in any companies or businesses in the sense of a holding company (in Switzerland, with the exception of any participation in real estate companies). The company may also carry out any other activity that has a direct or indirect connection with these purposes; it may in particular establish branches in Switzerland and abroad, participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, acquire companies with an identical or similar purpose, or merge with such companies, carry out all operations and conclude all contracts that are suitable for developing and expanding its purpose or that are directly or indirectly related to it.