Adams Express Company : Adams Express Announces 2011 Performance

Date: 

01/12/2012

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - JANUARY 12, 2012 - The Adams Express Company (NYSE:ADX) announces the Company's investment returns for 2011.

2011 INVESTMENT RETURNS

For the twelve months ended December 31, 2011, the total return on Adams Express' net asset value, with dividends and capital gains reinvested, was -2.8%. Comparable figures for the S&P 500 Composite Stock Index ("S&P 500") and the Lipper Large-Cap Core Mutual Funds Average ("Lipper Peer Group") were 2.1% and -0.7%, respectively. The total return on Adams Express' market value was -4.2%.

Consistent with the Company's commitment to distribute to stockholders each year an amount equal to at least 6% of the Company's trailing 12-month average month-end market price, the annual distribution rate of income dividends and realized capital gains paid to stockholders in 2011 was 6.1%. The annual distribution rate is the total income dividends and capital gain distributions during the year divided by the average month-end market price of the Company's Common Stock on the NYSE for the twelve months ended October 31.

NET ASSET VALUE ANNOUNCED

The net assets, shares outstanding, and net asset value per share of Adams Express at the end of 2011 compared with the prior year are:

	12/31/11	12/31/10
Net assets	$1,050,733,678	$1,124,671,966
Shares outstanding	91,073,899	88,885,186
Net asset value per share	$11.54	$12.65

SECURITIES TRANSACTIONS DURING THE FOURTH QUARTER

During the fourth quarter, Adams Express added seven new names to its investment list with the purchases of AXIS Capital Holdings, Ltd., CenturyLink Inc., Digital Realty Trust Inc., Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc., Seadrill Ltd., South Jersey Industries, Inc., and Wisconsin Energy Corp. The Company increased its holdings in ACE, Caterpillar, FedEx, JP Morgan Chase, Philip Morris International, PNC Financial, United Technologies, and Wells Fargo. Five holdings were eliminated from the investment list with the sales of American Express, Curtiss-Wright, Hospira, Transocean, and United Rentals. The Company reduced its holdings in Abbott Laboratories, Air Products, ADP, F5 Networks, Goodrich, Google, Masco, MDU Resources, Morgan Stanley, Norfolk Southern, Oracle, T. Rowe Price, Teck Resources, and Unilever.

OTHER SUMMARY FINANCIAL INFORMATION

	12/31/11	12/31/10
Unrealized appreciation	$62,511,196	$159,221,690
Net investment income	$13,858,578	$13,366,543
Net realized gain	$45,998,641	$30,884,988
Key Ratios:
Net investment income to average net assets*	1.25%	1.29%
Expense ratio (to average net assets)*	0.55%	0.58%
Portfolio turnover	21.5%	16.2%
Net cash & short-term investments to net assets	4.5%	4.0%

TEN LARGEST PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS (12/31/11)

	% of Net Assets
Petroleum & Resources Corporation*	5.1
Apple Inc.	3.7
Oracle Corp.	2.3
McDonald's Corp.	2.3
Chevron Corp.	2.0
JP Morgan Chase & Co.	1.9
PepsiCo, Inc.	1.9
Intel Corp.	1.8
Caterpillar Inc.	1.8
Procter & Gamble Co.	1.8
Total	24.6
*Non-controlled affiliate

SECTOR WEIGHTINGS (12/31/11)

	% of Net Assets
Information Technology	19.8%
Health Care	12.4%
Financials	11.9%
Energy	11.6%
Consumer Discretionary	11.2%
Consumer Staples	10.8%
Industrials	9.4%
Materials	4.6%
Short-Term Investments	4.4%
Utilities	2.5%
Telecom Services	1.3%

ANNUALIZED ONE, THREE AND FIVE YEAR COMPARATIVE RETURNS
Returns on net asset value (12/31/11)

	1 Year	3 Year	5 Year
Adams Express	-2.8%	12.2%	-0.3%
S&P 500	2.1%	14.1%	-0.3%
Lipper Peer Group	-0.7%	12.7%	-0.9%

The Adams Express Company is a Baltimore-based closed-end investment company. Its stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ADX.

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For further information, please contact:

Lawrence L. Hooper, Jr.
at [phone] or [phone]