N-Q 1 e33322nq.txt QUARTERLY SCHEDULE 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 811-00179 Central Securities Corporation (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter) 630 Fifth Avenue, Suite 820 New York, N.Y. 10111 (Address of principal executive offices) Registrant's telephone number including area code: 212-698-2020 Date of fiscal year end: December 31 Date of reporting period: September 30, 2008 Item 1. Schedule of Investments. CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION Statement of Investments September 30, 2008 (Unaudited) PORTFOLIO SECURITIES 89.9% STOCKS (COMMON UNLESS SPECIFIED OTHERWISE) Prin. Amt. or Shares Value ---------- ------------ Banking and Finance 7.1% 825,475 The Bank of New York Mellon Corporation............. $ 26,893,976 250,000 Capital One Financial Corporation................... 12,750,000 150,000 Newstar Financial, Inc.............................. 1,213,500 ------------ 40,857,476 ------------ Business Services 0.3% 75,000 Heritage-Crystal Clean Inc. (a)..................... 1,023,750 70,000 RSC Holdings, Inc. (a).............................. 795,200 ------------ 1,818,950 ------------ Communications 0.5% 1,100,000 Arbinet-thexchange, Inc. (a)........................ 3,003,000 ------------ Electronics 19.9% 942,400 Agilent Technologies, Inc. (a)...................... 27,951,584 390,000 Analog Devices, Inc................................. 10,276,500 850,000 Coherent, Inc. (a).................................. 30,217,500 630,000 Flextronics International Inc. (a).................. 4,460,400 809,600 Intel Corporation................................... 15,163,808 310,000 Maxim Integrated Products, Inc...................... 5,611,000 350,000 Motorola, Inc....................................... 2,499,000 1,000,000 Radisys Corporation (a)............................. 8,600,000 3,230,000 Sonus Networks, Inc. (a)............................ 9,302,400 ------------ 114,082,192 ------------ Energy 15.1% 300,000 Berry Petroleum Company Class A..................... 11,619,000 10,000 Cameco Corporation.................................. 223,100 200,000 Devon Energy Corporation............................ 18,240,000 1,900,000 GeoMet, Inc. (a).................................... 10,336,000 670,000 McMoRan Exploration Co. (a)......................... 15,838,800 363,300 Murphy Oil Corporation.............................. 23,302,062 300,000 Nexen Inc.......................................... 6,969,000 ------------ 86,527,962 ------------ Health Care 1.1% 100,000 Abbott Laboratories................................. 5,758,000 260,000 Vical Inc. (a)...................................... 561,600 ------------ 6,319,600 ------------ Information Technology Services 6.3% 1,730,800 Convergys Corporation............................... 25,581,224 930,000 Xerox Corporation................................... 10,722,900 ------------ 36,304,124 ------------ Prin. Amt. or Shares Value ---------- ------------ Insurance 24.4% 10,000 Erie Indemnity Co. Class A.......................... $ 422,700 70,000 The Plymouth Rock Company, Inc. Class A (b)(c)(d)............................... 140,000,000 ------------ 140,422,700 ------------ Manufacturing 14.0% 870,000 Brady Corporation Class A........................... 30,693,600 200,000 Carlisle Companies Inc.............................. 5,994,000 400,000 Dover Corporation................................... 16,220,000 100,000 General Electric Co................................. 2,550,000 100,000 Precision Castparts Corporation..................... 7,878,000 300,000 Roper Industries, Inc............................... 17,088,000 ------------ 80,423,600 ------------ Retailing 1.2% 28,751 AeroGroup International, Inc. (a)(c)(d)............. 385,838 200,000 Walgreen Co......................................... 6,192,000 ------------ 6,577,838 ------------ Total Portfolio Securities (cost $270,965,985)......................... 516,337,442 SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 10.2% Commercial Paper 3.8% 8,046,000 Chevron Corporation 2.61% due 12/4/08................ 8,008,809 13,788,000 General Electric Capital Corp. 2.07% - 2.16% due 10/1/08 - 12/4/08.............................. 13,784,106 ------------ 21,792,915 ------------ U.S. Government Agency Obligations 2.0% 11,656,000 Federal Home Loan Bank 11.98% due 10/17/08........... 11,645,846 ------------ U.S. Treasury Bills 3.3% 25,465,000 U.S. Treasury Bills 0.25% - 1.76% due 12/18/08 - 2/26/09............................. 25,347,637 ------------ Total Short-Term Investments (cost $58,786,398)............................. 58,786,398 ------------ Total Investments (cost $329,752,383) (100.1%)... 575,123,840 Cash, receivables and other assets less liabilities (0.1%)........................ (522,345) ------------ Net Assets (100%)................................ $574,601,495 ============ (a) Non-dividend paying. (b) Affiliate as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940. (c) Valued at estimated fair value. (d) Restricted security. See footnote 2. See accompanying notes to statement of investments. CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION NOTES TO STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS 1. Security Valuation - Securities are valued at the last sale price or, if unavailable, at the closing bid price. Corporate discount notes are valued at amortized cost, which approximates value. Securities for which no ready market exists are valued at estimated fair value by the Board of Directors. As of September 30, 2008, the tax cost of investments was $329,752,383. Net unrealized appreciation was $245,371,457 consisting of gross unrealized appreciation and gross unrealized depreciation of $276,722,569 and $31,351,112, respectively. 2. Fair Value Measurements - Effective January 1, 2008, the Corporation adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Statement of Financial Accounting Standard No. 157, "Fair Value measurements" ("FAS 157"). FAS 157 establishes a disclosure framework which prioritizes and ranks the level of market price observability used in determining the fair value of investments as follows: o Level 1 - Fair value is determined based on market data obtained from independent sources; for example, quoted prices in active markets for identical investments. The Corporation's Level 1 investments consist of equity securities listed on a national securities exchange or NASDAQ National Market. o Level 2 - Fair value is determined using other significant observable assumptions obtained from independent sources; for example, quoted prices for similar investments or the use of models or other valuation methodologies. The Corporation's Level 2 instruments consist of short-term investments, carried at amortized cost. o Level 3 - Fair value is determined using significant unobservable inputs including the Corporation's own assumptions based upon the best information available. Investments categorized as Level 3 include situations in which there is little, if any, market activity. The Corporation's Level 3 investments consist of The Plymouth Rock Company, Inc. and Aerogroup International, Inc. In certain cases, the inputs used to determine fair value may fall into different levels of the fair value hierarchy. In such cases, an investment's level within the hierarchy is based on the least observable input that is significant to fair value. The inputs used for valuing securities are not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in those securities. The Corporation's investments as of September 30, 2008 are classified as follows: Valuation Inputs Investments in Securities ---------------- ------------------------- Level 1 $375,951,604 Level 2 58,786,398 Level 3 140,385,838 ------------ $575,123,840 ============ The following is a reconciliation of assets in which significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) were used in determining fair value: Balance at December 31, 2007 $149,173,114 Change in unrealized appreciation of investments (8,787,276) ------------ Balance at September 30, 2008 $140,385,838 ============ No Level 3 investments were purchased, sold or transferred to Level 1 or Level 2 during the nine months ended September 30, 2008. 3. Restricted Securities - The Corporation has from time to time invested in securities the resale of which is restricted. On September 30, 2008, such investments had an aggregate value of $140,385,838, which was equal to 24.4% of the Corporation's net assets. Investments in restricted securities at September 30, 2008 were: Date Company Shares Security Purchased Cost ------- ------ -------------------- --------- ---------- AeroGroup International, Inc. 28,751 Common Stock 6/14/05 $ 17,200 The Plymouth Rock Company, Inc. 60,000 Class A Common Stock 12/15/82 1,500,000 The Plymouth Rock Company, Inc. 10,000 Class A Common Stock 6/9/84 699,986 The Corporation does not have the right to demand registration of the restricted securities. Item 2. Controls and Procedures. (a) Disclosure Controls and Procedures. The Principal Executive and Financial Officers have concluded that the Registrant's Disclosure Controls and Procedures are effective based on their evaluation of the Disclosure Controls and Procedures as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report. (b) Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. During the last fiscal quarter, there was no significant change in the Registrant's internal control over financial reporting that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting. Item 3. Exhibits. (a) Certifications. 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. CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION By: /s/ Wilmot H. Kidd ------------------- President Date: October 22, 2008 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/ Wilmot H. Kidd ---------------------------- President Date: October 22, 2008 By: /s/ Charles N. Edgerton ---------------------------- Vice President and Treasurer Date: October 22, 2008