The company's purpose is to acquire, sell, hold, manage and finance participations in companies in Switzerland and abroad. The company may establish branches and subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad. The company may acquire, manage, exploit and transfer intellectual property rights, patents, trademarks and technical and industrial know-how. The company may acquire, hold and sell real estate in Switzerland and abroad and carry out all financial, commercial and other activities that are directly or indirectly related to the company's purpose, with the exception of transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Persons Abroad (BewG). The company may grant loans and other direct or indirect financing to its direct and indirect subsidiaries as well as to third parties, including its direct and indirect shareholders and their direct and indirect subsidiaries, and provide security for their liabilities of any kind, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether remunerated or not.