The company's purpose is the acquisition, holding, sale, management, control and administration of participations in all companies, in Switzerland and abroad; real estate transactions prohibited by the Federal Act on the Acquisition of Real Estate by Foreigners are excluded. The company may: carry out any financial, commercial or industrial activity directly or indirectly related to its purpose; create branches or subsidiaries in Switzerland and abroad; participate in all companies having a direct or indirect relationship with its purpose; grant loans to its direct or indirect shareholders as well as to any other company in the group and guarantee their obligations to third parties in any way, including through pledges, assignments or transfers for security or guarantees of any kind, remunerated or not; or participate in cash pooling operations within its group.