c31958_n30b2

Tri-Continental Corporation

To the Stockholders:

     Your first quarter Stockholder report for Tri-Continental Corporation follows this letter. This report contains Tri-Continental’s investment results and portfolio of investments.

     For the three months ended March 31, 2004, Tri-Continental posted a total return of 5.12% based on market price and 3.05% based on net asset value. During the same time period, the S&P 500 returned 1.69%, and the Lipper Closed-End Growth & Income Funds Average returned 3.47%.

     Thank you for your continued support of Tri-Continental Corporation. We look forward to serving your investment needs for many years to come.

By order of the Board of Directors,

William C. Morris
Chairman

Brian T. Zino
President

April 30, 2004

1


Tri-Continental Corporation

Investment Results Per Common Share (unaudited)

TOTAL RETURNS
For Periods Ended March 31, 2004

        Average Annual
       
  Three   One   Five   Ten
  Months*   Year   Years   Years
 
 
 
 
Market Price** 5.12 %   35.64 %   (2.68 )%   8.67 %
Net Asset Value** 3.05     35.55     (3.19 )   9.61  
Lipper Closed-End                      
   Growth & Income                      
   Funds Average*** 3.47     39.89     2.54     8.59  
S&P 500*** 1.69     35.11     (1.21 )   11.68  
             
PRICE PER SHARE            
  March 31, 2004   December 31, 2003  
 
 
 
   Market Price
$17.20
   
$16.40
   
   Net Asset Value
20.10
   
19.55
   
           
DIVIDEND, CAPITAL GAIN AND YIELD INFORMATION
         
For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2004                  
     
Capital Gain
     
     
     
  Dividends Paid†  
Realized††
Unrealized†††
 
SEC Yield ø
 
 
 
 
 
$0.04
$0.34
$2.05
  0.95 %



The rates of return will vary and the principal value of an investment will fluctuate. Shares, if sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Past performance is not indicative of future investment results. Due to market volatility, current performance may be higher or lower than the performance quoted above.
*

  
Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
**
  
  These rates of return reflect changes in market price or net asset value, as applicable, and assume that all distributions within the period are taken in additional shares.
***
  
  The Lipper Closed-End Growth & Income Funds Average and the S&P 500 are unmanaged benchmarks that assume reinvestment of all distributions. The Lipper Closed-End Growth & Income Funds Average excludes the effect of any costs associated with the purchase of shares, and the S&P 500 excludes the effect of fees and sales charges. The Lipper Closed-End Growth & Income Funds Average measures the performance of closed-end mutual funds with objectives similar to the Corporation. The S&P 500 measures the performance of 500 of the largest US companies based on market capitalizations. Investors cannot invest directly in an index or an average.

  
Preferred Stockholders were paid dividends totaling $0.625 per share.
††
  
  Information does not reflect the effect of capital loss carryforwards that are available to offset these and future capital gains.
†††
  
  Represents the per share amount of net unrealized appreciation of portfolio securities as of March 31, 2004.
ø

  
Current yield, representing the annualized yield for the 30-day period ended March 31, 2004, has been computed in accordance with SEC regulations and will vary.

2


Tri-Continental Corporation

Largest Portfolio Changes (unaudited)
January 1, 2004 to March 31, 2004

Largest Purchases
Largest Sales
Verizon Communications Inc.* SPDR Trust, Series 1
Merck & Co., Inc.* Weyerhaeuser Company
Carnival Corporation* Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.
Autodesk, Inc.* eBay Inc.
Bank of New York Company, Inc. (The)* Altria Group, Inc.
Coca-Cola Company (The)* Aventis (ADR)**
General Electric Company BHP Billiton Ltd. (ADR)**
Novartis (ADR) Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold, Inc. Class “B”
American Tower Corporation* Dean Foods Company
Andrew Corporation* Forest Laboratories, Inc.

Largest portfolio changes from the previous period to the current period are based on cost of purchases and proceeds from sales of securities, listed in descending order.


*
  
  Position added during the period.
**
  
  Position eliminated during the period.

10 Largest Equity Holdings (unaudited)
March 31, 2004

 Security
Value
Percent of Net Assets
 

 
 
 
Citigroup Inc.   $88,108,691   3.7  
General Electric Company   81,785,970   3.4  
Microsoft Corporation   67,058,641   2.8  
Exxon Mobil Corporation   63,708,602   2.7  
Pfizer Inc.   62,803,922   2.6  
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.   60,807,397   2.6  
Altria Group, Inc.   53,822,736   2.3  
American International Group, Inc.   50,280,345   2.1  
International Business          
   Machines Corporation   45,921,837   1.9  
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)   42,668,715   1.8  

3


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
March 31, 2004
       
  Shares   Value
 
 
COMMON STOCKS 98.7%      
AUTOMOBILES AND        
   COMPONENTS 1.0%        
Lear Corporation 379,400   $ 23,507,624
     

BANKS 6.2%        
Bank of America Corporation 208,520     16,885,950
Fannie Mae 257,500     19,145,125
Freddie Mac 223,700     13,211,722
Radian Group Inc. 285,800     12,175,080
U.S. Bancorp 1,284,430     35,514,490
Wachovia Corporation 804,763     37,823,861
Wells Fargo & Company 209,800     11,889,366
     

        146,645,594
     

CAPITAL GOODS 10.3%        
Deere & Company 167,100     11,581,701
General Dynamics Corporation 261,000     23,315,130
General Electric Company 2,679,750     81,785,970
Illinois Tool Works Inc. 375,680     29,765,126
L-3 Communications        
      Holdings, Inc. 465,300     27,676,044
Masco Corporation 728,000     22,160,320
Parker Hannifin Corporation 228,300     12,898,950
Tyco International Ltd. 1,281,040     36,701,796
     

        245,885,037
     

CHEMICALS 1.1%        
Praxair, Inc. 675,600     25,078,272
     

COMMERCIAL SERVICES        
   AND SUPPLIES 1.0%        
ServiceMaster Company (The) 2,008,200     24,118,482
     

COMMUNICATIONS        
   EQUIPMENT 1.8%        
Andrew Corporation* 712,300     12,468,812
Cisco Systems, Inc.* 1,278,680     30,074,554
     

        42,543,366
     

COMPUTERS AND                
   PERIPHERALS 4.1%
           
Dell Inc. *         1,093,260   $ 36,749,935
Hewlett-Packard Company   710,130     16,219,369
International Business              
   Machines Corporation       500,020     45,921,837
           

                98,891,141
             

CONSUMER DURABLES          
   AND APPAREL 0.6%                
Pulte Homes, Inc.         264,500     14,706,200
             

CONSUMER STAPLES 8.7%            
Altria Group, Inc.         988,480     53,822,736
Coca-Cola Company (The)   356,300     17,921,890
Dean Foods Company*       565,100     18,874,340
PepsiCo, Inc.         467,000     25,147,950
Procter & Gamble                
   Company (The)         291,056     30,525,953
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.         1,018,720     60,807,397
             

                207,100,266
             

DIVERSIFIED                
   FINANCIALS 11.5%              
American Express Company   296,330     15,364,711
Bank of New York                
Company, Inc. (The)       566,100     17,832,150
Capital One Financial              
   Corporation         128,900     9,722,927
Citigroup Inc.         1,704,230     88,108,691
Goldman Sachs                
   Group, Inc. (The)         408,900     42,668,715
MBNA Corporation         651,500     18,000,945
Merrill Lynch         657,100     39,136,876
J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.       616,500     25,862,175
Morgan Stanley         303,270     17,377,371
             

                274,074,561
             

ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT          
   AND INSTRUMENTS 1.0%              
Jabil Circuit, Inc.*         822,940     24,219,124
             


See footnotes on page 6.

4


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
March 31, 2004
     
Shares  
Value
 
 
ENERGY 7.2%        
BP p.l.c (ADR) (United        
   Kingdom) 433,800   $ 22,210,560
ChevronTexaco Corporation 197,100     17,301,438
ConocoPhillips 239,403     16,712,723
Exxon Mobil Corporation 1,531,825     63,708,602
Noble Corporation* 186,300     7,157,646
Noble Energy, Inc. 294,680     13,879,428
Occidental Petroleum        
   Corporation 304,200     14,008,410
Rowan Companies, Inc.* 384,900     8,117,541
Weatherford International Ltd.* 222,900     9,368,487
     

      172,464,835
     

HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT        
   AND SERVICES 2.4%        
Aetna Inc. 236,200     21,191,864
Anthem, Inc.* 84,400     7,650,016
Laboratory Corporation of        
   America Holdings* 161,900     6,354,575
Medtronic, Inc. 280,000     13,370,000
St. Jude Medical, Inc.* 110,400     7,959,840
     

      56,526,295
     

HOTELS, RESTAURANTS        
   AND LEISURE 3.6%        
Carnival Corporation 468,700     21,049,317
International Game Technology 472,100     21,225,616
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. 508,950     22,444,695
Wendy’s International, Inc. 526,100     21,407,009
     

      86,126,637
     

INSURANCE 5.1%        
American International        
   Group, Inc. 704,700     50,280,345
Hartford Financial        
   Services Group, Inc. 212,400     13,529,880
PartnerRe Ltd. 219,700     12,402,065
Prudential Financial, Inc. 782,400     35,035,872
XL Capital Ltd. Class “A” 149,700     11,383,188
     

      122,631,350
     

MEDIA 3.4%        
Clear Channel        
   Communications, Inc. 545,200   $ 23,089,220
Time Warner Inc.* 1,291,100     21,767,946
Tribune Company 483,000     24,362,520
Univision Communications Inc.        
   Class “A”* 373,300     12,322,633
     

      81,542,319
     

METALS AND MINING 1.0%        
Freeport-McMoRan        
   Copper & Gold, Inc.        
   Class “B” 603,200     23,579,088
     

PAPER AND FOREST        
   PRODUCTS 0.5%        
Weyerhaeuser Company 189,020     12,380,810
     

PHARMACEUTICALS AND        
   BIOTECHNOLOGY 10.4%        
Amgen Inc.* 289,100     16,809,719
Biogen Idec Inc.* 152,295     8,468,363
Forest Laboratories, Inc.* 74,500     5,335,690
Gilead Sciences, Inc.* 211,800     11,813,145
Johnson & Johnson 663,263     33,640,699
MedImmune, Inc.* 405,700     9,365,585
Merck & Co., Inc. 505,900     22,355,721
Novartis (ADR) (Switzerland) 851,500     36,273,900
Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc.* 125,300     5,063,373
Pfizer Inc. 1,791,838     62,803,922
Teva Pharmaceutical        
   Industries Ltd.        
   (ADR) (Israel) 225,080     14,259,943
Watson Pharmaceutical, Inc.* 130,600     5,588,374
Wyeth 414,300     15,556,965
     

      247,335,399
     

REAL ESTATE 0.7%        
Apartment Investment &        
   Management Company        
   Class “A” 501,600     15,594,744
     


See footnotes on page 6.

5


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)
March 31, 2004
       
  Shares   Value
 
 
RETAILING 2.7%      
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.* 340,200   $ 13,835,934
eBay Inc.* 147,560     10,225,170
Michaels Stores, Inc. 504,500     24,528,790
Target 372,300     16,768,392
     

        65,358,286
     

SEMICONDUCTORS AND        
   SEMICONDUCTOR        
   EQUIPMENT 3.3%        
Intel Corporation 1,177,590     32,036,336
National Semiconductor        
   Corporation* 632,300     28,093,089
Taiwan Semiconductor        
   Manufacturing Company        
   Ltd. (ADR) (Taiwan)* 1,872,700     19,550,988
     

        79,680,413
     

SOFTWARE AND        
   SERVICES 7.5%        
Autodesk, Inc. 697,000     22,046,110
Electronic Arts Inc.* 439,600     23,723,014
Microsoft Corporation 2,683,956     67,058,641
Oracle Corporation* 1,880,000     22,625,800
Symantec Corporation* 690,800     31,980,586
Synopsys, Inc.* 366,900     10,627,257
     

        178,061,408
     

TELECOMMUNICATION        
   SERVICES 2.2%        
American Tower Corporation* 1,099,100     12,474,785
Crown Castle International        
   Corp.* 895,200     11,306,376
Verizon Communications Inc. 798,200     29,166,228
     

        52,947,389
     

UTILITIES 0.9%        
Dominion Resources, Inc. 72,600     4,668,180
Duke Energy Corporation 744,700     16,830,220
     

        21,498,400
     

        Principal Amount    
        or Shares   Value
       
 
MISCELLANEOUS 0.5%              
SPDR Trust, Series 1         104,300   shs. $ 11,802,588
             

TOTAL COMMON STOCKS          
   (Cost $2,111,132,887)             2,354,299,628
             
TRI-CONTINENTAL                
   FINANCIAL                
   DIVISION 0.1%                
WCAS Capital                
   Partners II, L.P.†      
$
4,727,686     2,408,236
Whitney Subordinated                
   Debt Fund, L.P.†         2,464,665     1,193,391
             

TOTAL TRI-CONTINENTAL      
FINANCIAL DIVISION              
   (Cost $7,192,351)               3,601,627
             

SHORT-TERM HOLDING 2.1%              
   (Cost $50,389,000)               50,389,000
             

TOTAL                
   INVESTMENTS 100.9%                
   (Cost $2,168,714,238)             2,408,290,255
OTHER ASSETS                
   LESS LIABILITIES (0.9)%       (21,819,879
     

NET ASSETS 100.0%             $ 2,386,470,376
             


               
* Non-income producing security.                
† Restricted security.                
 
Note: Investments in common stocks, American Depositary Receipts
(ADR), limited partnership interests, and short-term holdings maturing in
more than 60 days are valued at current market values or, in their absence,
fair values determined in accordance with procedures approved by the
Board of Directors. Securities traded on an exchange are valued at last
sales prices or, in their absence and in the case of over-the-counter securi-
ties, at the mean of bid and ask prices. Short-term holdings maturing in 60
days or less are valued at amortized cost.      

6


Tri-Continental Corporation

Stockholder Services

     Tri-Continental provides a number of services to make maintaining an investment in its Common Stock more convenient. Please consult Tri-Continental’s prospectus for the terms and conditions of these services.

Automatic Dividend Investment and Cash Purchase Plan. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the prospectus, Stockholders may automatically purchase additional shares with dividends and capital gains. There is no charge for this service. Stockholders may also, subject to the terms and conditions of the prospectus, purchase additional shares directly from the Corporation. There is a service fee of a maximum of $2.00 for each cash purchase transaction.

Automatic Cash Withdrawal Plan. Stockholders who hold common shares with a market value of $5,000 or more may elect to receive a fixed amount from their investment at regular intervals by selling their shares to the Corporation. Traditional Individual Retirement Account (IRA). Stockholders who have earned income and are under age 70 1 / 2 may contribute up to $3,000 per year to a Traditional IRA for 2004. A working or non-working spouse may also contribute up to $3,000 to a separate Traditional IRA for 2004. Additionally, individuals who reach age 50 prior to the end of a taxable year may make “catch-up contributions” to a Traditional IRA of up to $500 (increasing to $1,000 for years beginning after 2005). Contributions to a Traditional IRA may be deductible or non-deductible. If you are single and not covered by an employer’s retirement plan, your contribution will always be deductible. For individuals who are covered by a plan, contributions will be fully deductible if your modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) in 2004 is less than $45,000. For spouses who are both covered by a plan, contributions will be fully deductible if your MAGI is less than $65,000. If one spouse does not work or is not covered by a retirement plan, that spouse’s contribution will be fully deductible provided your household MAGI does not exceed $150,000. If your contribution is not deductible, you may still take advantage of the tax-deferred accumulation of earnings in your Traditional IRA.

Rollover IRA. You may be eligible to roll over a distribution of assets received from another IRA, a qualified employee benefit plan, or tax-deferred annuity into a Rollover IRA with Tri-Continental. To avoid a tax penalty, the transfer to a Rollover IRA must occur within 60 days of receipt of the qualifying distribution. If you do not make a direct transfer of a distribution from a qualified employee benefit plan or a tax-deferred annuity to a Rollover IRA, the payor of the distribution must withhold 20% of the distribution.

Roth IRA. You (and a working or non-working spouse) may each make an after-tax contribution of up to $3,000 per year to a Roth IRA provided you have earned income and meet the eligibility requirements. Your MAGI must be less than $95,000 (individuals) or $150,000 (married couples) to be eligible to make a full contribution to a Roth IRA. You are eligible to make a partial Roth IRA contribution if your MAGI is below $110,000 (individuals) or $160,000 (married couples). Total combined contributions to a Roth IRA and a Traditional IRA cannot exceed $3,000 in any year. Additionally, individuals who reach age 50 prior to the end of a taxable year may make “catch-up contributions” to either a Roth IRA or Traditonal IRA of up to $500 (increasing to $1,000 for years beginning after 2005). Earnings grow tax-free and will be distributed to you tax-free and penalty-free provided that you hold your account for at least five years and you take the distribution either after age 59 1 / 2 , for disability, upon death, or to make a first-time home purchase (up to $10,000). Unlike

7


Tri-Continental Corporation

Stockholder Services (continued)

a Traditional IRA, you may contribute to a Roth IRA even if you are over age 70 1 / 2 (if you have earned income), and you are not required to take minimum distributions at age 70 1 / 2 . You may convert an existing Traditional IRA to a Roth IRA to take advantage of tax-free distributions. You must pay taxes on any earnings and deductible contributions in your Traditional IRA when converting it to a Roth IRA. Talk to your financial advisor for more details on converting your Traditional IRA.

Retirement Planning — Qualified Plans. Unincorporated businesses and the self-employed may take advantage of the same benefits in their retirement plans that are available to corporations. Contribution levels can go as high as 100% of earned income (reduced by plan contributions), to a maximum of $41,000 per participant. For retirement plan purposes, no more than $205,000 may be taken into account as earned income under the plan in 2004. Social Security integration and employee vesting schedules are also available as options in the Tri-Continental prototype retirement plans. Although you already may be participating in an employer’s retirement plan, you may be eligible to establish another plan based upon income from other sources, such as director’s fees.

Retirement Plan Services provides information about our prototype retirement plans. The toll-free telephone number is (800) 445-1777 in the US and (212) 682-7600 outside the US.

Gifts Free of Federal Tax are often made using Tri-Continental Common Stock. You may give as much as $11,000 a year to as many individuals as desired free of federal gift tax, and a married couple may give up to $22,000 a year.

Stock Repurchase Program. On November 20, 2003, the Board of Directors authorized the renewal of Tri-

Continental’s ongoing share repurchase program. The program authorizes the Corporation to repurchase up to 5.0% of the Corporation’s shares over a 12-month period, provided that the discount of a share’s market price to its net asset value (“NAV”) remains greater than 10%. The stock repurchase plan seeks, among other things, to moderate the growth in the number of shares outstanding, increase the net asset value of outstanding shares, reduce the dilutive impact on Stockholders who do not take capital gains distributions in additional shares, and increase the liquidity of Tri-Continental’s common stock.

     Between November 20, 2003 and March 31, 2004, 2.4 million shares were repurchased. This is approximately 2.0% of the shares outstanding at the beginning of the period. The repurchase of additional shares is expected to continue through November 2004, as long as the discount remains above 10%.

8


Tri-Continental Corporation

Board of Directors

Robert B. Catell (3,4)
William C. Morris (1)
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Director,
Chairman of the Board,
   KeySpan Corporation    J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated
  Chairman, Carbo Ceramics Inc.
John R. Galvin (2,4)  
Dean Emeritus, Fletcher School of Law and Leroy C. Richie (2,4)
   Diplomacy at Tufts University Chairman and Chief Executive Officer,
     Q Standards Worldwide, Inc.
Alice S. Ilchman (3,4) Director, Kerr-McGee Corporation
President Emerita, Sarah Lawrence College  
Trustee, Committee for Economic Robert L. Shafer (3,4)
   Development Retired Vice President, Pfizer Inc.
   
Frank A. McPherson (3,4) James N. Whitson (2,4)
Retired Chairman of the Board and Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
   Chief Executive Officer, Kerr-McGee Corporation    Officer, Sammons Enterprises, Inc.
Director, ConocoPhillips Director, CommScope, Inc.
Director, Integris Health  
  Brian T. Zino (1)
John E. Merow (2,4) Director and President,
Retired Chairman and Senior Partner,    J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated
   Sullivan & Cromwell LLP Chairman, Seligman Data Corp.
Director, Commonwealth Industries, Inc. Chairman, ICI Mutual Insurance Company
Trustee, New York-Presbyterian Hospital Member of the Board of Governors,
     Investment Company Institute
Betsy S. Michel (2,4)  
Trustee, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation  
 
  Member: (1) Executive Committee
    (2) Audit Committee
    (3) Director Nominating Committee
    (4) Board Operations Committee

9


Tri-Continental Corporation

Executive Officers

William C. Morris
Richard R. Schmaltz
Chairman Vice President
   
Brian T. Zino Lawrence P. Vogel
President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President and Treasurer
   
Charles W. Kadlec Frank J. Nasta
Vice President Secretary
   
Thomas G. Rose  
Vice President  

 


 

For More Information

Manager
Important Telephone Numbers
J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated (800) TRI-1092 Stockholder Services
100 Park Avenue (800) 445-1777 Retirement Plan Services
New York, NY 10017 (212) 682-7600 Outside the United States
  (800) 622-4597 24-Hour Automated
Stockholder Service Agent   Telephone Access Service
Seligman Data Corp.    
100 Park Avenue    
New York, NY 10017    

10


 

Tri-Continental Corporation
Managed by


J. & W. SELIGMAN & CO.
INCORPORATED
INVESTMENT MANAGERS AND ADVISORS
ESTABLISHED 1864
100 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10017

This report is intended only for the information of Stockholders or those who have received the current prospectus covering shares of Common Stock of Tri-Continental Corporation, which contains information about management fees and other costs.

 

 

CETRI3a 3/04

 


 

First Quarter Report 2004

 

 

 

Tri-Continental
Corporation

 

 

 

an investment you can live with