The purpose of the company is to acquire, hold, manage, finance and sell participations in other companies in Switzerland or abroad. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries, assume representations and conduct any business activity and conclude contracts of any kind, both domestically and abroad, that may be conducive to the company's purpose or that are directly or indirectly related to the company's purpose. The company may acquire, hold, manage, encumber and sell real estate both domestically and abroad. Excluded are transactions that are prohibited by the Federal Law on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (BewG). The company is part of a group and may take into account 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 to third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and their direct and indirect subsidiaries, including under cash pooling agreements (including zero balancing), and provide security for the liabilities of these parties in any form, including by pledging or fiduciary transfer of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind. This may also be done without consideration, on preferential terms, without interest, excluding the company's profit motive and/or by incurring clustering risks.