NPORT-EX 2 cet_nportex.htm STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS
 
CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION
STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS
March 31, 2022
(unaudited)

 

 Shares       Value 
COMMON STOCKS 94.9%
  Banks 2.4%    
               230,000   JPMorgan Chase & Co. $             31,353,600
         
  Communications Services 8.7%    
                  25,000   Alphabet Inc. Class A (a)               69,533,750
               325,000   Cogent Communications Holdings, Inc.               21,563,750
               100,000   Meta Platforms Inc. Class A (a)               22,236,000
                  113,333,500
         
  Diversified Financial 10.8%    
               270,000   American Express Company               50,490,000
               300,000   Capital One Financial Corporation               39,387,000
               600,000   The Charles Schwab Corporation               50,586,000
                  140,463,000
         
  Diversified Industrial 5.6%    
               400,000   AerCap Holdings N.V. (a)               20,112,000
               240,000   Brady Corporation Class A               11,104,800
               565,000   Heritage-Crystal Clean, Inc. (a)               16,729,650
                  54,000   Roper Technologies, Inc.               25,500,420
                    73,446,870
         
  Energy 4.1%    
               500,000   Hess Corporation               53,520,000
         
  Health Care 5.2%    
                  90,000   Johnson & Johnson               15,950,700
               185,000   Medtronic plc               20,525,750
               200,000   Merck & Co., Inc.               16,410,000
               300,000   Roche Holding AG ADR               14,823,000
                    67,709,450
         
  Insurance Brokers 3.7%    
               150,000   Aon plc Class A               48,844,500
         
  Insurance Underwriters 25.5%    
                  28,424   The Plymouth Rock Company Class A (b)(c)             284,240,000
               435,000   Progressive Corporation               49,585,650
                  333,825,650

 

 

 

 

 Shares         Value 
  Real Estate 4.1%    
            1,000,000   Kennedy-Wilson Holdings Inc. $       24,390,000
               700,000   Rayonier Inc.               28,784,000
                    53,174,000
         
  Retailing 3.7%    
                  11,000   Amazon.com, Inc. (a)               35,859,450
                  11,000   Mercadolibre, Inc. (a)               13,084,280
                    48,943,730
         
  Semiconductor 8.7%    
               445,000   Analog Devices, Inc.               73,505,100
               420,000   Intel Corporation               20,815,200
               170,000   Wolfspeed, Inc. (a)               19,356,200
                  113,676,500
         
  Software and Services 2.1%    
                  90,000   Microsoft Corporation               27,747,900
         
  Technology Hardware and Equipment 9.8%    
               335,000   II-VI Inc. (a)               24,284,150
               200,000   Keysight Technologies, Inc. (a)               31,594,000
                  80,000   MKS Instruments, Inc.               12,000,000
               250,000   Motorola Solutions, Inc.               60,550,000
                  128,428,150
         
  Utilities 0.5%    
               550,000   Star Group, L.P.                  6,105,000
         
    Total Common Stocks (cost $418,181,007)         1,240,571,850
         
 SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTS 5.1% 
         
  Money Market Fund 2.8%    
         36,112,301   Fidelity Investments Money Market Fund     
    Treasury Only Portfolio - Class I               36,112,301
         
Principal U.S. Treasury Bills 2.3%    
 $    30,000,000   US Treasury Bill, 0.245% due 5/12/22 (d)               29,991,741
    Total Short-term Investments (cost $66,104,042)               66,104,042
         
    Total Investments (cost $484,285,049) (100.0%)         1,306,675,892
         
    Cash, receivables and other assets less liabilities (0.0%)                     559,107
         
    Net Assets (100%) $   1,307,234,999

 

 

(a)Non-dividend paying.
(b)Affiliate as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 and restricted. See Note 3 and Note 4.
(c)Valued based on Level 3 inputs. See Note 2.
(d)Valued based on Level 2 inputs. See Note 2.

 

See accompanying notes to statement of investments.

 

 

 

CENTRAL SECURITIES CORPORATION

(the “Corporation”)

NOTES TO STATEMENT OF INVESTMENTS

(unaudited)

 

1. Security Valuation – Marketable common stocks are valued at the last or closing sale price or, if unavailable, at the closing bid price. Investments in money market funds are valued at net asset value per share. Other short-term investments are valued at amortized cost, which approximates fair value. Securities for which no ready market exists are valued at estimated fair value pursuant to procedures adopted by 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.

 

As of March 31, 2022, the tax cost of investments was $484,285,049. Net unrealized appreciation was $822,390,843 consisting of gross unrealized appreciation and gross unrealized depreciation of $837,132,409 and $14,741,566, respectively.

 

2. Fair Value Measurements – The Corporation’s investments are categorized below in three broad hierarchical levels based on market price observability as follows:

 

·Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical investments;
·Level 2 – Other significant observable inputs obtained from independent sources, for example, quoted prices in active markets for similar investments;
·Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs including the Corporation’s own assumptions based upon the best information available. The Corporation’s only Level 3 investment is The Plymouth Rock Company Class A Common Stock (“Plymouth Rock”).

 

The designated Level for a security is not necessarily an indication of the risk associated with investing in that security.

 

The Corporation’s investments as of March 31, 2022 are classified as follows:

 

   Level 1  Level 2  Level 3  Total
Common stocks  $956,331,850    —     $284,240,000   $1,240,571,850 
Short-term investments   36,112,301    29,991,741    —      66,104,042 
Total investments  $992,444,151   $29,991,741   $284,240,000   $1,306,675,892 

 

The following is a reconciliation of the change in the value of Level 3 investments:

 

Balance at December 31, 2021  $292,767,200 
Change in net unrealized appreciation  
  of investments in affiliated companies  
  included in net decrease in net assets
  resulting from operations
   (8,527,200)
Balance at March 31, 2022  $284,240,000 

Unrealized appreciation of Level 3 investments held as of March 31, 2022 decreased by $8,527,200 during the three months ended March 31, 2022, which is included in the above table.

 

In valuing the Plymouth Rock Level 3 investment as of March 31, 2022, management considered Plymouth Rock’s financial condition and results of operations, the insurance industry outlook, and any transactions in Plymouth Rock’s shares. Management used significant unobservable inputs to develop a range of values for the investment. It used a comparable company approach that utilized the following valuation multiples from selected publicly traded companies: price-to-book value (range: 0.7–1.6; average: 1.2); price-to-historical earnings (range: 11.9–34.3; average: 20.2); and price-to-forward earnings estimates (range: 11.2–28.1; average: 18.4). Management also used Plymouth Rock’s book value and a discounted cash flow model based on a forecasted return on equity of approximately 11% and a cost of capital of approximately 10%. The average of these values was then discounted for lack of marketability and control of the Plymouth Rock shares. Management considered a discount range of 30% to 40%, a range management believes market participants would apply. Management presented and discussed the above information with the Corporation’s directors, who approved the value for the investment.

 

 

 

 

Increases (decreases) in the price-to-book value multiple, price-to-historical earnings multiple, price-to-forward earnings estimate multiple, return on equity rate and book value in isolation would have resulted in a higher (lower) range of fair values. Increases (decreases) in the discount for lack of marketability and control or cost of capital in isolation would have resulted in a lower (higher) range of fair values.

 

3. Restricted Securities - The Corporation may from time to time invest in securities the resale of which is restricted. On March 31, 2022, the Corporation’s only restricted security consisted of 28,424 shares of Plymouth Rock that were acquired on December 15, 1982 at a cost of $710,600. This security had a value of $284,240,000 at March 31, 2022, which was equal to 21.7% of the Corporation’s net assets. The Corporation does not have the right to demand registration of this security.

 

4. Affiliated Companies – Plymouth Rock is an affiliated company as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 due to the Corporation’s ownership of 5% or more of the company’s outstanding voting securities. During the three months ended March 31, 2022, unrealized appreciation from the Corporation’s investment in Plymouth Rock decreased by $8,527,200 and the Corporation received dividends of $9,344,958 from Plymouth Rock. The Chairman of the Corporation is a director of Plymouth Rock. The Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation is a director of certain subsidiaries of Plymouth Rock.