UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

 

FORM N-Q

 

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF

REGISTERED MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY

 

  Investment Company Act file number: 811-00041  
     
  GENERAL AMERICAN INVESTORS COMPANY, INC.  
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)  
     
  530 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor, New York, NY 10036  
  (Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)  

 

Eugene S. Stark

General American Investors Company, Inc.

530 Fifth Avenue, 26th Floor,

New York, NY 10036

(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: 212-916-8400

 

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

 

Date of reporting period: September 30, 2018

 

 

   
 

ITEM 1. STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS.

2

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS September 30, 2018 (Unaudited)

General American Investors

Shares

COMMON STOCKS

Value
(note 1a)

Consumer

Discretionary

(16.7%)

Automobiles and Components (0.4%)

434,063

Ford Motor Company

(Cost $5,091,724)

$4,015,083

 

Media (3.9%)

10,000

Charter Communications, Inc. (a)

3,258,800

399,285

Discovery, Inc. (a)

12,777,120

291,599

GCI Liberty, Inc.- Class A (a)

14,871,549

460,196

Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. - Class A

13,046,557

(Cost $38,903,406)

43,954,026

Retailing (12.4%)

18,000

Amazon.com, Inc. (a)

36,054,000

335,279

Liberty Expedia Holdings, Inc. (a)

15,771,524

420,000

Macy’s, Inc.

14,586,600

648,268

The TJX Companies, Inc.

72,618,981

(Cost $40,648,549)

139,031,105

(Cost $84,643,679)

187,000,214

 

Consumer

Staples

(16.0%)

Food, Beverage, and Tobacco (10.9%)

225,118

Danone (France)

17,435,848

93,210

Diageo plc ADR (United Kingdom)

13,205,061

450,000

Nestle S.A. (Switzerland)

37,524,461

195,000

PepsiCo, Inc.

21,801,000

590,000

Unilever N.V. (Netherlands/United Kingdom)

32,861,206

(Cost $60,025,216)

122,827,576

Food and Staples Retailing (5.1%)

85,200

Costco Wholesale Corporation

20,011,776

556,761

The Kroger Co.

16,207,313

230,200

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.

21,618,082

(Cost $35,231,612)

57,837,171

(Cost $95,256,828)

180,664,747

 

Energy

(8.1%)

252,500

Anadarko Petroleum Corporation

17,021,025

1,127,947

Cameco Corporation (Canada)

12,858,596

1,525,000

Ensco plc - Class A (United Kingdom)

12,871,000

3,830,440

Gulf Coast Ultra Deep Royalty Trust

210,674

485,000

Halliburton Company

19,657,050

1,300,000

Helix Energy Solutions Group, Inc. (a)

12,844,000

140,000

Phillips 66

15,780,800

(Cost $62,866,926)

91,243,145

 

Financials

(19.4%)

Banks (1.6%)

110,000

M&T Bank Corporation

(Cost $560,176)

18,099,400

 

Diversified Financials (3.8%)

188,900

JPMorgan Chase & Co.

21,315,476

370,000

Nelnet, Inc.

21,152,900

(Cost $10,004,873)

42,468,376

Insurance (14.0%)

154,552

Aon plc (United Kingdom)

23,767,007

1,200,000

Arch Capital Group Ltd. (a) (Bermuda)

35,772,000

275,000

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (Bermuda)

15,870,250

110

Berkshire Hathaway Inc.- Class A (a) (b)

35,200,005

120,000

Everest Re Group, Ltd. (Bermuda)

27,416,400

400,000

MetLife, Inc.

18,688,000

(Cost $41,917,542)

156,713,662

(Cost $52,482,591)

217,281,438

3

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS September 30, 2018 (Unaudited) - continued

General American Investors

Shares

COMMON STOCKS (continued)

Value
(note 1a)

Health Care

(9.1%)

Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology, and Life Sciences

1,874,364

Arantana Therapeutics, Inc. (a)

$10,946,286

165,000

Celgene Corporation (a)

14,765,850

373,600

Gilead Sciences, Inc.

28,845,656

299,942

Intra-Cellular Therapies, Inc. (a)

6,508,741

458,817

Kindred Biosciences, Inc. (a)

6,400,497

200,191

Merck & Co., Inc.

14,201,549

436,364

Paratek Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a)

4,232,731

380,808

Pfizer Inc.

16,782,209

(Cost $51,826,761)

102,683,519

 

Industrials

(9.9%)

Capital Goods (4.0%)

129,131

Eaton Corporation plc (Ireland)

11,199,532

295,000

General Electric Company

3,330,550

217,541

United Technologies Corporation

30,414,407

(Cost $32,712,565)

44,944,489

Commercial and Professional Services (3.9%)

597,895

Republic Services, Inc.

(Cost $8,407,622)

43,443,051

 

Transportation (2.0%)

396,511

Delta Air Lines, Inc.

(Cost $20,270,129)

22,930,231

(Cost $61,390,316)

111,317,771

 

Information

Technology

(27.0%)

Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment (3.7%)

203,652

Applied Materials, Inc.

7,871,150

177,850

ASML Holding N.V. (Netherlands)

33,439,357

(Cost $9,264,555)

41,310,507

Software and Services (14.3%)

35,500

Alphabet Inc. (a)

42,368,185

126,474

DXC Technology Company

11,827,848

638,800

eBay Inc. (a)

21,093,176

86,000

Facebook, Inc. - Class A (a)

14,143,560

500,686

Microsoft Corporation

57,263,458

138,769

Worldpay, Inc. (a)

14,053,137

(Cost $97,019,626)

160,749,364

Technology, Hardware, and Equipment (9.0%)

104,000

Apple Inc.

23,476,960

640,000

Cisco Systems, Inc.

31,136,000

133,966

InterDigital, Inc.

10,717,280

175,000

Lumentum Holdings Inc. (a)

10,491,250

135,036

QUALCOMM Incorporated

9,726,643

131,309

Universal Display Corporation

15,481,331

(Cost $43,793,100)

101,029,464

(Cost $150,077,281)

303,089,335

 

Miscellaneous

(3.3%)

Other (c)

(Cost $45,761,459)

36,439,054

 

Telecommunication

Services (1.3%)

671,252

Vodafone Group plc ADR (United Kingdom)

(Cost $18,886,186)

14,566,168

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (110.8%)

(Cost $623,192,027)

1,244,285,391

 

Warrants

WARRANT (a)

Technology,
Hardware, and
Equipment (0.0%)

281,409

Applied DNA Sciences, Inc./ November 14, 2019/$3.50(Cost $2,814)

73,166

 

Put Option

Contracts

(100 shares each)

COMPANY/EXPIRATION DATE/EXERCISE PRICE

Retailing (0.0%)

1,000

The TJX Companies, Inc./January 18, 2019/$97.50

90,000

900

The TJX Companies, Inc./January 18, 2019/$92.50

40,500

(Cost $524,508)

130,500

 

Software and

Services (0.0%)

1,500

Microsoft Corporation/January 18, 2019/$105

(Cost $304,552)

262,500

TOTAL PUT OPTIONS

(Cost $829,060)

393,000

4

STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS September 30, 2018 (Unaudited) - continued

General American Investors

Shares

SHORT-TERM SECURITY AND OTHER ASSETS

81,572,639

State Street Institutional Treasury Plus Money Market Fund,

Trust Class, 1.9% (d) (7.3%)(Cost $81,572,639)

$81,572,639

TOTAL INVESTMENTS (e) (118.1%)(Cost $705,596,540)

1,326,324,196

Liabilities in excess of receivables and other assets (-1.2%)

(13,154,026

)

1,313,170,170

PREFERRED STOCK (-16.9%)

(190,117,175

)

NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON STOCK (100%)

$1,123,052,995

ADR - American Depository Receipt

(a)Non-income producing security.

(b)Security is held as collateral for options written.

(c)Securities which have been held for less than one year, not previously disclosed, and not restricted.

(d)7-day yield.

(e)At September 30, 2018, the cost of investments for Federal income tax purposes was $709,307,046; aggregate gross unrealized appreciation was $645,460,683; aggregate gross unrealized depreciation was $28,443,533; and net unrealized appreciation was $617,017,150.

STATEMENT OF OPTIONS WRITTEN September 30, 2018 (Unaudited)

Call Options

Contracts

(100 shares each)

COMPANY/EXPIRATION DATE/EXERCISE PRICE

Value
(note 1a)

Food and Staples

Retailing

252

Costco Wholesale Corporation/October 19, 2018/$220

$409,500

1,000

The Kroger Co./January 18, 2019/$30

151,000

(Premiums Received $698,996)

560,500

 

Software and

Services

1,500

Microsoft Corporation/January 18, 2019/$120

(Premium Received $337,144)

438,000

 

Retailing

251

The TJX Companies, Inc./October 19, 2018/$105

188,250

1,000

The TJX Companies, Inc./January 18, 2019/$100

1,380,000

900

The TJX Companies, Inc./January 18, 2019/$105

882,000

(Premiums Received $671,235)

2,450,250

 

TOTAL CALL OPTIONS(Total Premiums Received ($1,707,375)

$3,448,750

The maximum cash outlay if all put options are exercised is $48,629,500.

(see notes to financial statements)

5

NOTES TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Unaudited)

General American Investors

General American Investors Company, Inc. (the “Company”), established in 1927, is registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 as a closed-end, diversified management investment company. It is internally managed by its officers under the direction of the Board of Directors.

1.Security Valuation Equity securities traded on a national securities exchange are valued at the last reported sales price on the last business day of the period. Equity securities reported on the NASDAQ national market are valued at the official closing price on that day. Listed and NASDAQ equity securities for which no sales are reported on that day and other securities traded in the over-the-counter market are valued at the last bid price (asked price for options written) on the valuation date. Equity securities traded primarily in foreign markets are valued at the closing price of such securities on their respective exchanges or markets. Corporate debt securities, domestic and foreign, are generally traded in the over-the-counter market rather than on a securities exchange. The Company utilizes the latest bid prices provided by independent dealers and information with respect to transactions in such securities to assist in determining current market value. If, after the close of foreign markets, conditions change significantly, the price of certain foreign securities may be adjusted to reflect fair value as of the time of the valuation of the portfolio. Investments in money market funds are valued at their net asset value. Special holdings (restricted securities) and other securities for which quotations are not readily available are valued at fair value determined in good faith pursuant to specific procedures appropriate to each security as established by and under the general supervision of the Board of Directors. The determination of fair value involves subjective judgments. As a result, using fair value to price a security may result in a price materially different from the price used by other investors or the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security.

2.Options The Company may purchase and write (sell) put and call options. The Company typically purchases put options or writes call options to hedge the value of portfolio investments while it typically purchases call options and writes put options to obtain equity market exposure under specified circumstances. The risk associated with purchasing an option is that the Company pays a premium whether or not the option is exercised. Additionally, the Company bears the risk of loss of the premium and a change in market value should the counterparty not perform under the contract. Put and call options purchased are accounted for in the same manner as portfolio securities. Premiums received from writing options are reported as a liability on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. Those that expire unexercised are treated by the Company on the expiration date as realized gains on written option transactions in the Statement of Operations. The difference between the premium received and the amount paid on effecting a closing purchase transaction, including brokerage commissions, is also treated as a realized gain, or, if the premium is less than the amount paid for the closing purchase transaction, as a realized loss on written option transactions in the Statement of Operations. If a call option is exercised, the premium is added to the proceeds from the sale of the underlying security in determining whether the Company has realized a gain or loss on investments in the Statement of Operations. If a put option is exercised, the premium reduces the cost basis for the securities purchased by the Company and is parenthetically disclosed under cost of investments on the Statement of Assets and Liabilities. The Company as writer of an option bears the market risk of an unfavorable change in the price of the security underlying the written option.

3.Fair Value Measurements Various data inputs are used in determining the value of the Company’s investments. These inputs are summarized in a hierarchy consisting of the three broad levels listed below:

Level 1 - quoted prices in active markets for identical securities (including money market funds which are valued using amortized cost and which transact at net asset value, typically $1 per share),

Level 2 - other significant observable inputs (including quoted prices for similar securities, interest rates, credit risk, etc.), and

Level 3 - significant unobservable inputs (including the Company’s own assumptions in determining the fair value of investments).

The inputs or methodology used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The following is a summary of the inputs used to value the Company’s net assets as of September 30, 2018:

Assets

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Total

Common stocks

$1,244,285,391

$1,244,285,391

Warrant

73,166

73,166

Purchased options

393,000

393,000

Money market fund

81,572,639

81,572,639

Total

$1,326,324,196

$1,326,324,196

Liabilities

Options written

$(3,448,750

)

$(3,448,750

)

 

ITEM 2. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

 

Conclusions of principal officers concerning controls and procedures

 

(a) As of September 30, 2018, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of the officers of General American Investors Company, Inc. (the "Registrant"), including the principal executive officer ("PEO") and principal financial officer ("PFO"), of the effectiveness of the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures. Based on that evaluation, the Registrant's officers, including the PEO and PFO, concluded that, as of September 30, 2018, the Registrant's disclosure controls and procedures were reasonably designed so as to ensure: (1) that information required to be disclosed by the Registrant on Form N-Q is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by the rules and forms of the Securities and Exchange Commission; and (2) that material information relating to the Registrant is made known to the PEO and PFO as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

 

(b) There have been no significant changes in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 (17 CFR 270.30a-3(d)) that occurred during the Registrant's last fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

 

ITEM 3. EXHIBITS.

 

The certifications of the principal executive officer and principal financial officer pursuant to Rule 30a-2(a) under the Investment Company Act of 1940 are attached hereto as Exhibit 99 CERT.

 

   
 

 

SIGNATURES

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

 

  General American Investors Company, Inc.  
       
  By: /s/ Eugene S. Stark  
    Eugene S. Stark  
    Vice-President, Administration  
       
  Date: October 26, 2018  

 

 

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Investment Company Act of 1940, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

 

  By: /s/ Jeffrey W. Priest  
    Jeffrey W. Priest  
    President and Chief Executive Officer  
    (Principal Executive Officer)  
       
  Date: October 26, 2018  

 

  By: /s/ Eugene S. Stark  
    Eugene S. Stark  
    Vice-President, Administration  
    (Principal Financial Officer)  
       
  Date: October 26, 2018