The acquisition, holding, financing and sale of interests in other companies of any kind in Switzerland or abroad, excluding transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (LAFE). The Company may, in Switzerland and abroad, open branches and establish subsidiaries, represent third parties, engage in any activity and conclude any agreement that may serve to promote the purpose of the Company, or that are directly or indirectly related thereto. The Company may acquire, hold, encumber and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad. In pursuing its corporate purpose, the Company may take into account the interests of its direct and indirect shareholders. The Company may, in particular, grant loans or other direct or indirect financing, including those within the framework of cash pooling agreements, to companies directly or indirectly controlled by it and to third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and companies directly or indirectly controlled by them; to secure the obligations entered into by them, the Company may provide guarantees or collateral of any kind, including pledges on the Company's assets or fiduciary assignments of the same, both for consideration and gratuitously.