The company's purpose is to hold, acquire, administer and manage direct or indirect participations in companies of any kind (it being specified that, with regard to real estate companies, the company may only hold participations in real estate companies with exclusively commercial use) as well as to hold intellectual property and manage the corresponding rights. The company may create branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad, hold participations in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, and carry out all operations that are directly or indirectly related to its purpose. The company may acquire, encumber, sell and manage real estate properties in Switzerland and abroad. It may also contract loans on its own account or on behalf of third parties and provide guarantees and securities for subsidiaries and third parties. The company may grant loans to its direct or indirect associates, or to other group companies, and create securities of any kind for their commitments to third parties, including by pledging or assigning its own assets or guarantees of any kind as security, even if these loans or securities are in the exclusive interest of its direct or indirect associates, or other group companies, and are granted free of charge.