to acquire, hold, manage and dispose of real estate (in the case of real estate located in Switzerland, these must have an exclusively commercial use) and participations (in the case of companies holding real estate located in Switzerland, these must have an exclusively commercial use), as well as to make investments of any kind, in Switzerland or abroad; the company may carry out all operations directly or indirectly related to this purpose and take an interest in them directly and indirectly; it may also carry out, on its own account or on behalf of third parties, all financial, commercial and securities transactions, directly or indirectly related to its purpose or likely to promote it; the company may also grant loans or other financial services to its direct or indirect shareholders, its direct or indirect subsidiaries and third parties, and provide guarantees of any kind on its assets, including by way of pledges or fiduciary transfers, or by way of guarantees of any kind, to secure the obligations of its direct or indirect shareholders, its direct or indirect subsidiaries or third parties.