The company's purpose is to acquire, manage, finance and sell assets of all kinds, in particular participations in companies and real estate. The company is authorized to acquire, encumber, sell and manage real estate. The company may establish branches in Switzerland and abroad, participate in other companies in Switzerland and abroad, acquire or merge with similar or related companies, and enter into all transactions and conclude contracts that are suitable to promote the purpose of the company or are directly or indirectly related thereto. It may acquire, manage, encumber and sell properties, copyrights, patents and licenses of all kinds. The company may grant loans or other financing to its direct and indirect parent companies and shareholders, as well as their or its direct or indirect group companies, and enter into security transactions of all kinds, in particular in the form of guarantees, pledges, global assignments, security transfers, security assignments and indemnification agreements for affiliated companies and third parties, even if these financing or security transactions are in their exclusive interest and are free of charge. The company may also conclude cash pooling agreements with other group companies.