nq9302014.htm - Generated by SEC Publisher for SEC Filing

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)

100 Park Avenue, 35th Floor, New York, NY 10017
(Address of principal executive offices)(Zip code)

Eugene S. Stark
General American Investors Company, Inc.
100 Park Avenue, 35th Floor,
New York, NY 10017
(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, 2014

Item 1. Statement of Investments



              Value
    Shares   COMMON STOCKS     (note 1a)
CONSUMER   AUTOMOBILESAND COMPONENTS (1.4%)      
 DISCRETIONARY   1,264,063   Ford Motor Company (Cost $16,174,723) $18,695,492
 (11.7%)   CONSUMERSERVICES (0.9%)      
    690,000   International Game Technology (COST $7,978,541)   11,640,300
    RETAILING(9.4%)          
    284,050   Kohl’s Corporation     17,335,571
    460,000   Target Corporation     28,832,800
    1,244,668   The TJX Companies, Inc.     73,647,006
          (Cost $42,752,572)   119,815,377
          (Cost $66,905,836)   150,151,169
 
CONSUMER   FOOD, BEVERAGE AND TOBACCO (9.5%)      
STAPLES   196,039   Danone     13,121,616
(13.4%) 237,400   Diageo plc ADR     27,395,960
    450,000   Nestle S.A.     33,122,902
    195,000   PepsiCo, Inc.     18,152,550
    734,620   Unilever N.V.     29,252,010
          (Cost $70,472,922)   121,045,038
    FOOD AND STAPLES RETAILING (3.9%)      
    394,500   Costco Wholesale Corporation (Cost $12,041,935)   49,438,740
          (Cost $82,514,857)   170,483,778
 
ENERGY   2,133,269   Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. (a)     5,290,507
(12.8%) 115,000   Anadarko Petroleum Corporation     11,665,600
    331,478   Apache Corporation     31,115,840
    1,232,344   Cameco Corporation     21,763,195
    340,000   Ensco plc - Class A     14,045,400
    585,000   Halliburton Company     37,738,350
    145,000   Occidental Petroleum Corporation     13,941,750
    803,803   Ultra Petroleum Corp. (a)     18,696,458
    470,000   Weatherford International plc (a)     9,776,000
          (Cost $121,679,289)   164,033,100
 
FINANCIALS   BANKS (2.4%)        
(21.9%) 670,000   FCB Financial Holdings, Inc., Class A (a)     15,215,700
    125,000   M&T Bank Corporation     15,411,250
          (Cost $13,662,262)   30,626,950
    DIVERSIFIED FINANCIALS (5.3%)      
    255,000   American Express Company     22,322,700
    380,000   JPMorgan Chase & Co.     22,891,200
    525,000   Nelnet, Inc.     22,622,250
          (Cost $28,184,141)   67,836,150
    INSURANCE (14.2%)      
    293,492   Aon plc     25,730,444
    750,000   Arch Capital Group Ltd. (a)     41,040,000
    110   Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Class A (a)     22,759,000
    145,000   Everest Re Group, Ltd.     23,491,450
    365,000   MetLife, Inc.     19,607,800
    255,000   PartnerRe Ltd.     28,021,950
    335,000   Platinum Underwriters Holdings, Ltd.     20,391,450
          (Cost $56,755,400)   181,042,094
          (Cost $98,601,803)   279,505,194

 


 


            Value
    Shares   COMMON STOCKS (continued)     (note 1a)
HEALTH CARE   PHARMACEUTICALS, BIOTECHNOLOGY AND LIFE SCIENCES      
(9.4%) 1,200,000 Ariad Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (a)   $6,480,000
    200,000 Celgene Corporation (a)     18,956,000
    398,600 Gilead Sciences, Inc. (a)     42,430,970
    427,191 Merck & Co., Inc.     25,323,882
    755,808 Pfizer Inc.     22,349,243
    449,475 Repros Therapeutics Inc.     4,449,803
        (Cost $60,871,047)   119,989,898
 
INDUSTRIALS   CAPITAL GOODS (5.2%)      
(10.5%) 915,000 General Electric Company     23,442,300
    360,000 Owens Corning     11,430,000
    300,000 United Technologies Corporation     31,680,000
        (Cost $53,470,464)   66,552,300
    COMMERCIAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES (5.2%)      
    1,037,100 Republic Services, Inc.     40,467,642
    255,798 Towers Watson & Co. Class A     25,451,901
        (Cost $30,786,660)   65,919,543
    TRANSPORTATION (0.1%)      
    72,500 Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (a) (Cost $1,569,031)   1,840,775
        (Cost $85,826,155)   134,312,618
 
INFORMATION   SEMICONDUCTORS AND SEMICONDUCTOR EQUIPMENT (4.3%)      
TECHNOLOGY   256,850 ASML Holding N.V.     25,381,917
(17.9%) 833,700 Intel Corporation     29,029,434
        (Cost $24,319,428)   54,411,351
    SOFTWARE AND SERVICES (3.7%)      
    680,686 Microsoft Corporation     31,556,603
    338,654 Synchronoss Technologies, Inc. (a)     15,503,580
        (Cost $27,810,204)   47,060,183
    TECHNOLOGY HARDWARE AND EQUIPMENT (9.9%)      
    429,000 Apple Inc.     43,221,750
    1,000,000 Cisco Systems, Inc.     25,170,000
    615,000 EMC Corporation     17,994,900
    536,200 QUALCOMM Incorporated     40,091,674
        (Cost $68,953,357)   126,478,324
        (Cost $121,082,989)   227,949,858
 
MATERIALS   336,300 The Dow Chemical Company (Cost $10,566,260)   17,635,572
(1.4%)          
 
MISCELLANEOUS     Other (b) (Cost $29,077,649)   20,697,520
(1.6%)            
TELECOMMUNICATION   459,702 Verizon Communications Inc.     22,980,503
 SERVICES   552,688 Vodafone Group plc ADR     18,177,908
 (3.2%)       (Cost $41,177,835)   41,158,411
  
      TOTAL COMMON STOCKS (103.8%) (Cost $718,303,720)   1,325,917,118
    Contracts        
    (100 shares each)   PUT OPTION/EXPIRATION DATE/EXERCISE PRICE    
Energy (0.0%)   1,500 Weatherford International plc/January 17, 2015/$20.00 (Cost $233,010)   169,500

 


 


        Value
Shares SHORT-TERM SECURITY AND OTHER ASSETS     (note 1a)
135,031,909 SSgA U.S. Treasury Money Market Fund (10.6%) (Cost $135,031,909) $135,031,909
TOTAL INVESTMENTS (c) (114.4%) (Cost $853,568,639)   1,461,118,527
Cash, receivables and other assets less liabilities (0.5%)     5,976,063
PREFERRED STOCK (-14.9%)       (190,117,175)
 
NET ASSETS APPLICABLE TO COMMON STOCK (100%)   $1,276,977,415

 

ADR - American Depository Receipt
(a) Non-income producing security.
(b) Securities which have been held for less than one year, not previously disclosed, and not restricted.
(c) At September 30, 2014 the cost of investments for Federal income tax purposes was the same as the cost for financial reporting purposes, aggregate gross
unrealized appreciation was $637,221,693, aggregate gross unrealized depreciation was $29,671,806, and net unrealized appreciation was $607,549,887.


  Contracts     Value
  (100 shares each) CALL OPTION/EXPIRATION DATE/EXERCISE PRICE   (note 1a)
Energy (0.0%) 1,500 Weatherford International plc/January 17, 2015/$25.00    
    (Premium Received $120,987) $70,500
(see notes to unaudited financial statements)    

 



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, 2014:

Assets   Level 1   Level 2 Level 3   Total
Common Stocks $1,325,917,118   - - $1,325,917,118
Purchased Option   169,500   - -   169,500
Money Market   135,031,909   - -   135,031,909
Total $1,461,118,527   - - 1,461,118,527
 
Liabilities              
Options Written ($70,500)     ($70,500)

 

The aggregate value of Level 3 portfolio investments changed during the three months ended March 31,
2014 as follows:

Change in portfolio valuations using significant unobservable inputs:   Level 3
Fair value at December 31, 2013 $32,637,795
Realized Gain   9,328,522
Net change in unrealized appreciation on investments   (4,181,595)
Proceeds from sale   (24,076,522)
Transfer to Level 1   (13,708,200)
Fair value at September 30, 2014 0

 

Transfers are reported as of the actual date of reclassification. A transfer from Level 3 to Level 1 occurred
during the period ended September 30, 2014.


 

ITEM 2. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Conclusions of principal officers concerning controls and procedures

(a) As of September 30, 2014, 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, 2014, 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 20, 2014

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 20, 2014

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

Date: October 20, 2014