ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY - FORM N-30B - SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

LOGO


LETTER TO STOCKHOLDERS

 

 

 

 

We submit herewith the summary financial information of The Adams Express Company (the Company) for the nine months ended September 30, 2011.

 

Net assets of the Company at September 30, 2011 were $10.76 per share on 88,924,926 shares outstanding, compared with $12.65 per share at December 31, 2010 on 88,885,186 shares outstanding. On March 1, 2011, a distribution of $0.05 per share was paid, consisting of $0.02 from 2010 investment income, $0.01 from 2010 short-term capital gain, $0.01 from 2010 long-term capital gain, and $0.01 from 2011 investment income, all taxable in 2011. A 2011 investment income dividend of $0.05 per share was paid June 1, 2011, and another $0.05 per share investment income dividend was paid September 1, 2011.

 

Net investment income for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 amounted to $9,486,010, compared with $9,045,923 for the same nine month period in 2010. These earnings are equal to $0.11 and $0.10 per share, respectively.

 

Net capital gain realized on investments for the nine months ended September 30, 2011 amounted to $35,610,153, or $0.40 per share.

 

For the nine months ended September 30, 2011, the total return on the net asset value (with dividends and capital gains reinvested) of the Company’s shares was (13.8)%. The total return on the market price of the Company’s shares for the period was (12.9)%. These compare to a (8.7)% total return for the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Index (“S&P 500”) and a (10.6)% total return for the Lipper Large-Cap Core Mutual Funds Average over the same time period.

 

For the twelve months ended September 30, 2011, the Company’s total return on net asset value was (4.2)% and on market price was (3.0)%. Comparable figures for the S&P 500 and the Lipper Large-Cap Core Mutual Fund Average were 1.1% and (1.5)%, respectively.

 

As announced on September 8, 2011, the Company has committed to distribute annually to its stockholders a per share amount equal to 6% of the average month-end market price of the Company’s Common Stock on the NYSE for the twelve months ended October 31. This commitment recognizes our history of distributions to stockholders and makes clear our future intentions. More details on the distribution commitment may be found on the Company’s website at www.adamsexpress.com.

 

 

 

Current and potential stockholders can find information about the Company, including the daily net asset value (NAV) per share, the market price, and the discount/premium to the NAV, on our website at www.adamsexpress.com. Also available on the website are a history of the Company, historical financial information, links for electronic delivery of stockholder reports, and other useful content.

 

 

 

By order of the Board of Directors,

LOGO

Douglas G. Ober

Chairman and

Chief Executive Officer

 

LOGO

David D. Weaver

President

 

October 13, 2011


SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

 

 

 

(unaudited)

 

       2011      2010  
At September 30:        

Net asset value per share

     $ 10.76       $ 11.78   

Market price

       9.21         9.96   

Shares outstanding

       88,924,926         87,428,532   

Total net assets

       957,010,424         1,029,561,550   

Unrealized appreciation (depreciation)

       (40,613,122      62,748,859   

For the nine months ended September 30:

       

Net investment income

       9,486,010         9,045,923   

Net realized gain

       35,610,153         20,412,767   

Total return (based on market price)

       (12.9)%         0.1%   

Total return (based on net asset value)

       (13.8)%         0.1%   

Key ratios:

       

Net investment income to average net assets (annualized)

       1.12%         1.18%   

Expenses to average net assets (annualized)

       0.52%         0.58%   

Portfolio turnover

       17.10%         9.48%   

Net cash & short-term investments to net assets

       3.8%         1.7%   

 

FIVE YEAR DISTRIBUTION HISTORY

 

 

 

(unaudited)

 

Year

   Income
Dividends
Per Share
     Short-Term
Capital Gains
Per Share
     Long-Term
Capital Gains
Per Share
     Total
Distributions
Per Share
     Dividend
Yield*
     Annual
Distribution
Rate**
 

2006

    
$0.23
       
$0.04
       
$0.63
        $0.90          
1.7%
      
6.8%
 

2007

    
0.32
       
0.08
       
0.63
        1.03        
2.2
       
7.1
  

2008

    
0.26
       
0.01
       
0.37
        0.64        
2.3
       
5.7
  

2009

    
0.15
       
0.05
       
0.25
        0.45        
1.7
       
5.2
  

2010

    
0.14
       
0.09
       
0.28
        0.51        
1.4
       
5.1
  
              

 

 

    

 

 

 
              Average:        
1.9%
      
6.0%
 

 

* The dividend yield is the total income dividends during the year divided by the average month-end market price of the Company’s Common Stock for the year.
** The annual distribution rate is the total dividends and capital gain distributions during the year divided by the average month-end market price of the Company’s Common Stock for the year.

 

2


CHANGES IN PORTFOLIO SECURITIES

 

 

 

During the Three Months Ended September 30, 2011

(unaudited)

 

     Shares  
     Additions      Reductions      Held
Sept. 30,  2011
 

ACE Ltd.

     140,000            140,000   

Avon Products, Inc.

     30,000            359,600   

BorgWarner, Inc. .

     150,000            150,000   

Capital One Financial Corp.

     240,000            240,000   

Caterpillar Inc.

     60,000            200,000   

Celgene Corp.

     38,300            200,000   

F5 Networks, Inc.

     35,000            85,000   

FedEx Corp.

     20,000            135,000   

Honeywell International Inc.

     240,000            240,000   

Peabody Energy Corp.

     16,000            44,400   

Philip Morris International Inc.

     140,000            140,000   

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

     20,000         65,000         225,000   

Schlumberger Ltd.

     80,000            80,000   

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

     75,000            275,000   

United Rentals, Inc.

     215,300            215,300   

United Technologies Corp.

     40,000         65,000         105,000   

American Express Corp.

        215,000         135,000   

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

        32,100         267,900   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc.

        3,500         31,531   

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc.

        39,000         81,000   

Coca-Cola Co.

        25,000         200,000   

Curtiss-Wright Corp.

        225,059         94,941   

Dow Chemical Co.

        40,000         360,000   

Emerson Electric Co.

        100,000         100,000   

Exxon Mobil Corp.

        100,000         115,000   

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

        25,300         227,700   

General Electric Co.

        218,000         490,000   

Goodrich Corp.

        25,000         100,000   

Intel Corp.

        50,000         790,000   

McDonald’s Corp.

        10,000         240,000   

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

        30,500         442,600   

Morgan Stanley

        100,000         300,000   

Oracle Corp.

        100,000         1,000,000   

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc.

        17,300         156,100   

Praxair, Inc.

        7,500         67,500   

Procter & Gamble Co.

        35,000         280,000   

State Street Corp.

        193,000         —       

Unilever plc ADR

        20,000         480,000   

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

        20,000         227,500   

 

3


PORTFOLIO SUMMARY

 

 

 

September 30, 2011

(unaudited)

 

 Ten Largest Equity Portfolio Holdings

        Market Value        % of Net Assets  

Petroleum & Resources Corporation*

     $ 49,464,828          
5.2%
 

Apple Inc.

       36,212,100          
3.8
  

Oracle Corp.

       28,740,000          
3.0
  

McDonald’s Corp.

       21,076,800          
2.2
  

PepsiCo, Inc.

       18,570,000          
1.9
  

Chevron Corp.

       18,504,000          
1.9
  

Procter & Gamble Co.

       17,690,400          
1.8
  

Microsoft Corp.

       17,423,000          
1.8
  

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

       16,867,200          
1.8
  

Intel Corp.

       16,850,700          
1.8
  
    

 

 

      

 

 

 

Total

     $ 241,399,028          
25.2%
 

*Non-controlled affiliate

         

 

 

Sector Weightings

 

 

LOGO

 

 

4


SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

 

 

 

September 30, 2011

(unaudited)

 

    Shares     Value (A)  

Stocks — 96.2%

   

Consumer — 21.5%

   

Consumer Discretionary — 10.5%

  

 

BorgWarner, Inc. (C)

    150,000      $ 9,079,500   

Columbia Sportswear Co. (B)

    200,000        9,280,000   

Lowe’s Companies, Inc.

    600,000        11,604,000   

Marriot International Inc. (Class A)

    300,000        8,172,000   

McDonald’s Corp.

    240,000        21,076,800   

Newell Rubbermaid Inc.

    400,000        4,748,000   

Ryland Group, Inc. (B)

    613,500        6,533,775   

Target Corp.

    320,000        15,692,800   

Walt Disney Co.

    480,000        14,476,800   
   

 

 

 
      100,663,675   
   

 

 

 

Consumer Staples — 11.0%

   

Avon Products, Inc.

    359,600        7,048,160   

Bunge Ltd.

    155,000        9,034,950   

Coca-Cola Co.

    200,000        13,512,000   

CVS/Caremark Corp.

    295,000        9,906,100   

PepsiCo, Inc. (G)

    300,000        18,570,000   

Philip Morris International Inc.

    140,000        8,733,200   

Procter & Gamble Co.

    280,000        17,690,400   

Safeway Inc.

    340,000        5,654,200   

Unilever plc ADR (B)

    480,000        14,971,200   
   

 

 

 
      105,120,210   
   

 

 

 

Energy — 11.4%

   

Chevron Corp.

    200,000        18,504,000   

CONSOL Energy Inc.

    73,700        2,500,641   

Exxon Mobil Corp. (G)

    115,000        8,352,450   

Halliburton Co.

    150,000        4,578,000   

National Oilwell Varco, Inc. (F)

    100,000        5,122,000   

Peabody Energy Corp.

    44,400        1,504,272   

Petroleum & Resources Corporation (D)

    2,186,774        49,464,828   

Schlumberger Ltd.

    80,000       
4,778,400
  

Spectra Energy Corp.

    405,780        9,953,783   

Transocean Ltd. (C)

    95,000        4,535,300   
   

 

 

 
      109,293,674   
   

 

 

 

Financials — 12.0%

   

Banks — 2.7%

   

PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.

    225,000        10,842,750   

Wells Fargo & Co.

    635,000        15,316,200   
   

 

 

 
      26,158,950   
   

 

 

 

Diversified Financials — 6.9%

  

 

American Express Co.

    135,000        6,061,500   

Bank of America Corp.

    1,385,000        8,476,200   

Bank of New York Mellon Corp.

    403,775        7,506,177   

Capital One Financial Corp.

    240,000        9,511,200   

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

    560,000        16,867,200   

Morgan Stanley

    300,000        4,050,000   

T. Rowe Price Group, Inc.

    275,000        13,136,750   
   

 

 

 
      65,609,027   
   

 

 

 

Insurance — 2.4%

   

ACE Ltd.

    140,000        8,484,000   

Prudential Financial, Inc.

    310,000        14,526,600   
   

 

 

 
      23,010,600   
   

 

 

 

Health Care — 13.4%

   

Abbott Laboratories

    200,000        10,228,000

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

    159,061        4,991,334

Celgene Corp. (C)

    200,000        12,384,000

Gilead Sciences, Inc. (C)

    250,000        9,700,000

Hospira, Inc. (C)

    175,000        6,475,000

Johnson & Johnson

    255,000        16,246,050

Life Technologies Corp. (C)

    200,000        7,686,000

Medtronic, Inc.

    350,000        11,634,000

Pfizer Inc.

    800,000        14,144,000

Senomyx, Inc. (C)

    1,284,400        4,508,244

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. ADR

    330,000        12,282,600

UnitedHealth Group Inc.

    227,500        10,492,300

Zimmer Holdings, Inc. (C)

    150,000        8,025,000
   

 

 

      128,796,528
   

 

 

Industrials — 10.2%

   

Caterpillar Inc.

    200,000        14,768,000

Curtiss-Wright Corp.

    94,941        2,737,149

Emerson Electric Co.

    100,000        4,131,000

FedEx Corp.

    135,000        9,136,800

General Electric Co.

    490,000        7,467,600

Goodrich Corp.

    100,000        12,068,000

Honeywell International Inc.

    240,000       
10,538,400

Masco Corp.

    825,000        5,874,000

Norfolk Southern Corp.

    200,000        12,204,000

Spirit AeroSystems Holdings Inc. (Class A) (C)

    500,000        7,975,000

United Rentals, Inc. (B)(C)

    215,300        3,625,652

United Technologies Corp.

    105,000        7,387,800
   

 

 

      97,913,401
   

 

 

Information Technology — 21.2%

  

 

Semiconductors — 2.5%

   

Broadcom Corp. (C)

    200,000        6,658,000

Intel Corp.

    790,000        16,850,700
   

 

 

      23,508,700
   

 

 

Software & Services — 8.7%

  

 

Automatic Data Processing, Inc.

    267,900        12,631,485

Cognizant Technology Solutions Group (Class A) (C)

    150,000       
9,405,000

Google Inc. (Class A) (C)(F)

    30,000        15,431,400

Microsoft Corp.

    700,000        17,423,000

Oracle Corp.

    1,000,000        28,740,000
   

 

 

      83,630,885
   

 

 

Technology Hardware & Equipment — 10.0%

ADTRAN, Inc.

    318,400        8,424,864

Apple Inc. (C)(F)

    95,000        36,212,100

Cisco Systems, Inc.

    850,000        13,166,500

F5 Networks, Inc. (C)(F)

    85,000        6,039,250

Hewlett-Packard Co.

    300,000        6,735,000

NetApp, Inc. (C)

    300,000        10,182,000

QUALCOMM Inc.

    300,000        14,589,000
   

 

 

      95,348,714
   

 

 

 

5


SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS (CONTINUED)

 

 

 

September 30, 2011

(unaudited)

 

     Principal/
Shares
    Value (A)  

Materials — 4.4%

   

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.

    35,000      $ 2,672,950   

CF Industries Holdings, Inc. (F)

    31,531        3,890,610   

Cliffs Natural Resources Inc. (F)

    81,000        4,144,770   

Dow Chemical Co.

    360,000        8,085,600   

Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold Inc.

    227,700        6,933,465   

Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (F)

    156,100        6,746,642   

Praxair, Inc. (F)

    67,500        6,309,900   

Teck Resources Ltd. (Class B)

    100,000        2,919,000   
   

 

 

 
      41,702,937   
   

 

 

 

Utilities — 2.1%

   

MDU Resources Group, Inc.

    442,600        8,493,494   

Northeast Utilities

    350,000        11,777,500   
   

 

 

 
      20,270,994   
   

 

 

 

Total Common Stocks (Cost $960,889,318)

  

    921,028,295   
   

 

 

 

Short-Term Investments — 2.7%

  

 

Time Deposits — 2.7%

  

 

Citibank, 0.03%, due 10/3/11

  $ 6,157,702        6,157,702   

M&T Bank, 0.90%

  $ 20,000,000        20,000,000   
   

 

 

 
      26,157,702   
   

 

 

 

Money Market Funds — 0.0%

  

 

Fidelity Institutional Money Market – Government Portfolio, 0.01% (E)

    10,000        10,000

RBC U.S. Government Money Market (Institutional Class I), 0.01% (E)

    10,000        10,000

Vanguard Federal Money Market, 0.01% (E)

    10,000        10,000

Western Asset Institutional Government Reserves (Institutional Class), 0.02% (E)

    10,000        10,000
   

 

 

      40,000
   

 

 

Total Short-Term Investments
(Cost $26,197,702)

      26,197,702
   

 

 

Securities Lending Collateral — 1.3%
(Cost $12,210,186)

  

 

Money Market Funds — 1.3%

  

 

Invesco Short-Term Investment Trust — Liquid Assets Portfolio (Institutional Class), 0.11% (E)

    12,210,186        12,210,186
   

 

 

Total Investments — 100.2%
(Cost $999,297,206)

      959,436,183

Cash, receivables, prepaid expenses and
other assets, less liabilities — (0.2)%

   

    (2,425,759
   

 

 

Net Assets — 100.0%

    $ 957,010,424
   

 

 

 

Notes:

(A) Securities are listed on the New York Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ and are valued at the last reported sale price on the day of valuation.
(B) A portion of shares held are on loan.
(C) Presently non-dividend paying.
(D) Non-controlled affiliate, a closed-end sector fund, registered as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940.
(E) Rate presented is as of period-end and represents the annualized yield earned over the previous seven days.
(F) All or a portion of this security is pledged to cover open written call option contracts. Aggregate market value of such pledged securities is $13,154,593.
(G) All or a portion of this security is pledged to collateralize open written put option contracts with an aggregate market value to deliver upon exercise of $13,200,000.

 

 

 

This report is transmitted to the stockholders of The Adams Express Company for their information. It is not a prospectus, circular or representation intended for use in the purchase or sale of shares of the Company or of any securities mentioned in the report. The rates of return will vary and the principal value of an investment will fluctuate. Shares, if sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is no guarantee of future investment results.

 

6


OTHER INFORMATION

 

 

 

Dividend Payment Schedule

 

The Company presently pays dividends four times a year, as follows: (a) three interim distributions on or about March 1, June 1, and September 1, and (b) a “year-end” distribution, payable in late December, consisting of the estimated balance of the net investment income for the year, the net realized capital gain earned through October 31 and, if applicable, a return of capital. Stockholders may elect to receive the year-end distribution in stock or cash. In connection with this distribution, all stockholders of record are sent a dividend announcement notice and an election card in mid-November. Stockholders holding shares in “street” or brokerage accounts may make their election by notifying their brokerage house representative.

 

Statement on Quarterly Filing of Complete Portfolio Schedule

In addition to publishing its complete schedule of portfolio holdings in the First and Third Quarter Reports to stockholders, the Company also files its complete schedule of portfolio holdings with the Securities and Exchange Commission for the first and third quarters of each fiscal year on Form N-Q. The Company’s Forms N-Q are available on the Commission’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company’s Forms N-Q may be reviewed and copied at the Commission’s Public Reference Room, and information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling 1-800-SEC-0330. The Company also posts a link to its Forms N-Q on its website at www.adamsexpress.com under the headings “Investment Information”, “Financial Reports” and then “SEC Filings”.

 

Proxy Voting Policies and Record

 

A description of the policies and procedures that the Company uses to determine how to vote proxies relating to portfolio securities owned by the Company and the Company’s proxy voting record for the 12-month period ended June 30, 2011 are available (i) without charge, upon request, by calling the Company’s toll free number at (800) 638-2479; (ii) on the Company’s website at www.adamsexpress.com under the headings “About Adams Express” and “Corporate Information”; and (iii) on the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at www.sec.gov.

 

Privacy Policy

 

In order to conduct its business, the Company, through its transfer agent, currently American Stock Transfer & Trust Company, collects and maintains certain nonpublic personal information about our stockholders of record with respect to their transactions in shares of our securities. This information includes the stockholder’s address, tax identification or Social Security number, share balances, and dividend elections. We do not collect or maintain personal information about stockholders whose shares of our securities are held in “street name” by a financial institution such as a bank or broker.

 

We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about you, our other stockholders or our former stockholders to third parties unless necessary to process a transaction, service an account or as otherwise permitted by law.

 

To protect your personal information internally, we restrict access to nonpublic personal information about our stockholders to those employees who need to know that information to provide services to our stockholders. We also maintain certain other safeguards to protect your nonpublic personal information.

 

 

 

The Adams Express Company

Seven St. Paul Street, Suite 1140, Baltimore, MD 21202

(410) 752-5900            (800) 638-2479

Website: www.adamsexpress.com

E-mail: contact@adamsexpress.com

Counsel: Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm: PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Custodian of Securities: Brown Brothers Harriman & Co.

Transfer Agent & Registrar: American Stock Transfer & Trust Company

Stockholder Relations Department

59 Maiden Lane

New York, NY 10038

(877) 260-8188

Website: www.amstock.com

E-mail: info@amstock.com

 

7

THE ADAMS EXPRESS COMPANY

 

 

Board of Directors

 

Enrique R. Arzac 2,3

  Roger W. Gale 2,4

Phyllis O. Bonanno 3,4

  Thomas H. Lenagh 2,4

Kenneth J. Dale 2,4

  Kathleen T. McGahran  1,3,5

Daniel E. Emerson 1,3,5

  Douglas G. Ober 1

Frederic A. Escherich 1,4,5

  Craig R. Smith 1,3,5
1. Member of Executive Committee
2. Member of Audit Committee
3. Member of Compensation Committee
4. Member of Retirement Benefits Committee
5. Member of Nominating and Governance Committee

 

Officers

 

Douglas G. Ober, CFA

 

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

David D. Weaver, CFA

 

President

Nancy J. F. Prue, CFA

 

Executive Vice President

Lawrence L. Hooper, Jr.

 

Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Richard A. Church

 

Vice President—Research

David R. Schiminger, CFA

 

Vice President—Research

D. Cotton Swindell, CFA

 

Vice President—Research

Brian S. Hook, CFA, CPA

 

Treasurer

Christine M. Sloan, CPA

 

Assistant Treasurer

Geraldine H. Paré

 

Assistant Secretary

 

 

Stock Data

 

 

Market Price (9/30/11)

   $ 9.21   

Net Asset Value (9/30/11)

   $ 10.76   

Discount:

     14.4%   

 

New York Stock Exchange ticker symbol: ADX

 

NASDAQ Quotation Symbol for NAV: XADEX

 

 

Distributions in 2011

 

 

From Investment Income

   $ 0.13   

From Net Realized Gains

     0.02   
  

 

 

 

Total

   $ 0.15   
  

 

 

 

 

 

2011 Dividend Payment Dates

 

 

March 1, 2011

June 1, 2011

September 1, 2011

December 27, 2011*

 

*Anticipated