The company's purpose is to acquire, hold, manage, sell, trade and finance participations in other domestic and foreign companies. The company may conduct all business and take all measures suitable to promote the company's purpose directly or indirectly, such as acquiring, managing, using, encumbering and disposing of enterprises of all kinds, real estate and intellectual property rights in Switzerland and abroad, establishing branches and agencies, granting loans, managing capital and providing guarantees in favor of affiliated companies. The company may provide direct or indirect financing to third parties or companies in which it has a direct or indirect interest, as well as to direct or indirect shareholders or companies in which such parties have a direct or indirect interest, whether through loans and/or other financing, with or without consideration. The company may provide collateral of any kind for its own liabilities or the liabilities of the aforementioned persons, including through pledges, assignments, fiduciary transfers, guarantees of any kind or through offset obligations, with or without consideration, even if such financing, collateral or guarantees are in the exclusive interest of third parties or companies in which it has a direct or indirect interest, or of direct or indirect shareholders or companies in which such parties have a direct or indirect interest.