The purpose of the company is to acquire, hold and dispose of other companies. The company may acquire, exploit, manage and dispose of real estate and intellectual property rights, establish subsidiaries and branches in Switzerland and abroad, and carry out all legal transactions that may be connected with the company's purpose or that are suitable to promote its development or that of group companies. The company may grant direct or indirect financing to third parties, including companies in which it has a direct or indirect interest, its direct or indirect shareholders, and companies in which such parties have a direct or indirect interest, whether by way of loans or other financing, including within the framework of cash pooling agreements, and provide security of any kind for their obligations, including by way of pledges on or fiduciary transfers of the company's assets or guarantees of any kind, whether against payment or not.