First Quarter Report 2007

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tri-Continental
Corporation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

an investment you can live with

 

 

 

 

 


Tri-Continental Corporation

FIRST QUARTER REPORT 2007

May 18, 2007

To the Stockholders:

     We are pleased to present Tri-Continental Corporation’s first quarter report, covering the three months ended March 31, 2007. Inside this report you will find Tri-Continental’s investment results and portfolio of investments.

     For the three months ended March 31, 2007, the Corporation delivered a total return of 2.6% based on market price and 1.2% based on net asset value (NAV). In comparison, the Corporation’s benchmark, the S&P 500 Index, returned 0.6% for the period. The Lipper Closed-End Core Funds Average returned 2.5% and the Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average returned 0.5%.

     In addition to Tri-Continental’s improving investment results, the Corporation resumed the payment of capital gains, with a per share distribution of $0.12 on March 27, 2007, and paid a first quarter dividend of $0.14 per Common share, compared to the $0.07 dividend paid by the Corporation in the first quarter of 2006.

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

By order of the Board of Directors,


William C. Morris
Chairman


Brian T. Zino
President

                    

1


Tri-Continental Corporation

Investment Results Per Common Share

TOTAL RETURNS
For Periods Ended March 31, 2007

         
Average Annual
   
Three
 
One
 
Two
  Three  
Five
 
Ten
    Months*      
Year
     
Years
     
Years
     
Years
     
Years
Market Price   2.62 %   14.63 %   14.96 %   11.51 %   4.83 %   6.93 %
Net Asset Value   1.23     13.45     12.29     10.30     5.03     6.22  
Lipper Closed-End Core                                    
   Funds Average**   2.49     11.75     12.04     9.81     5.81     6.92  
Lipper Large-Cap Core                                    
   Funds Average**   0.46     9.87     10.57     8.65     4.99     6.87  
S&P 500**   0.64     11.83     11.78     10.06     6.27     8.20  

PRICE PER SHARE

    March 31, 2007       December 31, 2006
Market Price   $22.70   $22.38
Net Asset Value     25.71     25.66

DIVIDEND AND CAPITAL GAIN PER SHARE AND YIELD INFORMATION
For Periods Ended March 31, 2007

    Capital Gain (Loss)    
Dividends Paid‡            Realized       Unrealized Gain†       Unrealized Loss†            SEC 30-Day YieldØ
$0.14   $0.67   $1.43  
$(1.03)
 
2.96%

Performance data quoted in this report represents past performance and does not guarantee or indicate future investment results. 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. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance data quoted. Total returns of the Corporation as of the most recent month end will be made available at www.seligman.com1 by the seventh business day following that month end. J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated, the investment manager of the Corporation, made certain payments to the Corporation in 2004. Absent such payments, the net asset value returns that include this period would have been lower. Returns reflect changes in market price or net asset value, as applicable, and assume reinvestment of distributions. Performance data quoted does not reflect the deduction of taxes that investors may pay on distributions or the sale of shares. An investment in Tri-Continental is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

 
See footnotes on page 3.

 

2


Tri-Continental Corporation

Investment Results Per Common Share (continued)

 

 

  
*
   Returns for periods of less than one year are not annualized.
       
  **  

The Lipper Closed-End Core Funds Average and the Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average (the “Lipper Averages”) and the Standard & Poor’s 500 Composite Stock Price Index (the “S&P 500”) are unmanaged benchmarks that assume reinvestment of all distributions. The Lipper Averages exclude the effect of taxes and any costs associated with the purchase of shares, and the S&P 500 excludes the effect of fees, taxes, and sales charges. The Lipper Closed-End Core Funds Average measures the performance of closed-end funds. The Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average includes open-end funds that, by portfolio practice, invest at least 75% of their assets in companies with market capitalizations (on a three-year weighted basis) greater than 300% of the dollar-weighted median market capitalization of the middle 1,000 securities of the S&P SuperComposite 1500 Index ($14.5 billion as of March 31, 2007). The Lipper Large-Cap Core Funds Average is provided for comparative purposes so that the Corporation’s perfomance can be measured against both closed-end and open-end funds with similar portfolio holdings as the Corporation. Lipper classifies the Corporation, based on its portfolio holdings, as a Closed-End Core Fund. 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.

       
 
  Represents the per share amount of gross unrealized gain or loss of portfolio securities as of March 31, 2007.
       
  Ø   Current yield, representing the annualized yield for the 30-day period ended March 31, 2007, has been computed in accordance with SEC regulations and will vary.
       
 
1
  The website reference is an inactive textual reference and information contained in or otherwise accessible through the website does not form a part of this report or the Corporation’s prospectus or statement of additional information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

3


Tri-Continental Corporation

Ten Largest Equity Holdings†
March 31, 2007

   
Cost
          
Value
   
(000s)
 
(000s)
Altria Group, Inc.   $ 93,749   $ 98,436
General Electric Company     91,511     81,176
Exxon Mobil Corporation     54,694     68,539
Wachovia Corporation     61,016     60,993
Bank of America Corporation     57,638     55,879
JPMorgan Chase & Co.     49,971     55,637
Capital One Financial Corporation     57,292     54,585
Pfizer Inc.     55,111     51,445
Comverse Technology, Inc.     46,202     49,496
ConocoPhillips     46,555     48,139
    $ 613,739   $ 624,325

The Corporation is actively managed and holdings are subject to change. There can be no assurance that the securities presented have remained or will remain in the Corporation’s portfolio. Information regarding the Corporation’s portfolio holdings should not be construed as a recommendation to buy or sell any security, an indication that any security is suitable for a particular investor, or that any of the securities listed were or will be profitable.

 
† Excludes options purchased.

Largest Portfolio Changes
January 1 to March 31, 2007

Largest Purchases   Largest Sales
Apollo Group, Inc. (Class A)*   Chevron Corporation
Pfizer Inc.   Bank of New York Company, Inc. (The)**
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company*   SUPERVALU INC.**
Hewlett-Packard Company*   Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.**
Costco Wholesale Corporation*   Health Net, Inc.**
Best Buy Co., Inc.   KeyCorp**
Electronic Arts Inc.*   Legg Mason, Inc.**
Amdocs Limited*   TXU Corp.**
Barrick Gold Corporation*   Dollar General Corporation**
CVS/Caremark Corporation   Coca-Cola Enterprises Inc.**

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

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

4


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)  
March 31, 2007

    Shares or
Warrants
          
Value
COMMON STOCKS AND      
   WARRANTS 86.9%          
 
AEROSPACE AND          
   DEFENSE 2.7%          
Boeing Company (The)   426,800  shs.
$
37,946,788
General Dynamics Corporation   105,300     8,044,920
Honeywell International Inc.   589,000     27,129,340
          73,121,048
 
AIR FREIGHT AND          
   LOGISTICS 0.5%          
FedEx Corp.   93,800     10,076,934
TNT N.V. (ADR)   75,700     3,485,985
          13,562,919
 
AIRLINES 0.3%          
JetBlue Airways Corporation*   562,500     6,474,375
 
BIOTECHNOLOGY 3.0%          
Amgen Inc.*   446,200     24,933,656
Genentech, Inc.*   224,000     18,394,880
Medimmune, Inc.*   427,600     15,560,364
Pharmion Corporation*   825,825     21,710,939
          80,599,839
 
CAPITAL MARKETS 1.3%          
Goldman Sachs          
     Group, Inc. (The)   73,600     15,207,968
Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc.   238,400     19,470,128
          34,678,096
 
CHEMICALS 0.8%          
E.I. Du Pont de Nemours          
     and Company   459,200     22,698,256
 
COMMERCIAL BANKS 2.3%          
Wachovia Corporation   1,107,963     60,993,363
 
COMMERCIAL SERVICES          
   AND SUPPLIES 1.0%          
Waste Management Inc.   774,200     26,640,222
           
COMMUNICATIONS          
   EQUIPMENT 5.5%          
Alcatel-Lucent (ADR)  
2,593,453
    30,654,614
Alcatel-Lucent          
     (exercise price of $2.75,          
     expiring 12/10/2007)*   13,686,305  wts.   1,368,631
Cisco Systems, Inc.*   496,180  shs.   12,667,475
Comverse Technology, Inc.*   2,310,200     49,496,035
Motorola, Inc.   1,496,300     26,439,621
QUALCOMM Inc.   666,300     28,424,358
          149,050,734
 
COMPUTERS AND          
   PERIPHERALS 4.2%          
Apple Inc.*   158,300     14,707,653
Hewlett-Packard Company   575,900     23,116,626
International Business          
     Machines Corporation   211,620     19,947,301
Palm, Inc.*   1,284,100     23,280,733
SanDisk Corporation*   177,200     7,761,360
Seagate Technology   1,087,800     25,345,741
          114,159,414
 
CONSUMER FINANCE 2.5%      
American Express Company   238,000     13,423,200
Capital One Financial Corporation   723,368     54,585,349
          68,008,549
 
CONTAINERS AND          
   PACKAGING 1.3%          
Packaging Corporation of America   357,900     8,732,760
Smurfit-Stone Container          
     Company*   2,400,000     27,024,000
          35,756,760
 
DIVERSIFIED CONSUMER          
   SERVICES 1.3%          
Apollo Group, Inc. (Class A)*   768,000     33,715,200
 
DIVERSIFIED FINANCIAL          
   SERVICES 5.4%          
Bank of America Corporation        1,095,240     55,879,145
Citigroup Inc.   629,830     32,335,472
JPMorgan Chase & Co.   1,150,000     55,637,000
          143,851,617

 
See footnotes on page 10.

5


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)  
March 31, 2007

   
Shares
          
Value
DIVERSIFIED          
   TELECOMMUNICATION          
   SERVICES 1.2%          
Citizens Communications          
     Company   834,200   $ 12,471,290
Windstream Corporation        1,338,700     19,665,503
          32,136,793
 
ENERGY EQUIPMENT          
   AND SERVICES 2.1%          
Halliburton Company   672,600     21,348,324
Tidewater Inc.   349,500     20,473,710
Weatherford International Ltd.*   319,700     14,418,470
          56,240,504
 
FOOD AND STAPLES          
   RETAILING 3.8%          
Costco Wholesale Corporation   379,000     20,405,360
CVS/Caremark Corporation   1,146,700     39,148,338
Rite Aid Corporation*   7,318,500     42,227,745
          101,781,443
 
FOOD PRODUCTS 1.1%          
Archer Daniels Midland          
     Company   386,500     14,184,550
Hershey Company (The)   268,300     14,665,278
          28,849,828
 
HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT          
   AND SUPPLIES 1.4%          
Boston Scientific Corporation*   1,272,700     18,505,058
Medtronic, Inc.   402,900     19,766,274
          38,271,332
 
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS          
   AND SERVICES 2.2%          
Aetna Inc.   480,500     21,041,095
WellPoint Inc.*   479,200     38,863,120
          59,904,215
 
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS          
   AND LEISURE 1.0%          
Las Vegas Sands Corp.*   155,000     13,424,550
Starbucks Corporation*   434,500     13,625,920
          27,050,470
           
INDUSTRIAL          
   CONGLOMERATES 4.7%          
3M Company   578,500     44,214,755
General Electric Company   2,295,700     81,175,952
          125,390,707
 
INSURANCE 2.8%          
American International          
     Group, Inc.   642,300     43,175,406
Hartford Financial Services          
     Group, Inc.   338,100     32,315,598
          75,491,004
 
INTERNET SOFTWARE          
   AND SERVICES 1.1%          
Google Inc. (Class A)*   44,300     20,296,488
Yahoo! Inc.*   258,100     8,075,949
          28,372,437
 
IT SERVICES 0.8%          
Amdocs Limited*   559,000     20,392,320
 
MACHINERY 0.7%          
Caterpillar Inc.   298,800     20,028,564
 
MEDIA 1.1%          
Time Warner Inc.   1,539,100     30,351,052
 
 
 
 
 
METALS AND MINING 2.4%          
Alcoa Inc.   588,200     19,939,980
Barrick Gold Corporation   614,400     17,541,120
Freeport-McMoRan Copper          
     & Gold Inc. (Class B)   407,800     26,992,282
          64,473,382
 
OIL, GAS AND          
   CONSUMABLE FUELS 6.8%          
Chevron Corporation   191,800     14,185,528
ConocoPhillips   704,300     48,138,905
El Paso Corporation        1,945,600     28,152,832
Exxon Mobil Corporation   908,400     68,538,780
Murphy Oil Corporation   443,425     23,678,895
          182,694,940
 
PERSONAL PRODUCTS 0.8%          
Herbalife Ltd.*   534,900     20,962,731

 
See footnotes on page 10.

6


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)  
March 31, 2007

   
Shares or Number
of Contracts**
          
Value
PHARMACEUTICALS 4.9%          
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company   981,600  shs. $ 27,249,216
Pfizer Inc.        2,036,638     51,445,476
Schering-Plough Corporation   445,200     11,357,052
Wyeth   815,300     40,789,459
          130,841,203
 
ROAD AND RAIL 1.0%          
Avis Budget Group, Inc.*   979,320     26,755,022
 
SEMICONDUCTORS AND          
   SEMICONDUCTOR          
   EQUIPMENT 1.3%          
Broadcom Corporation (Class A)*   327,700     10,509,339
KLA-Tencor Corporations   277,200     14,780,304
Texas Instruments Incorporated   344,500     10,369,450
          35,659,093
 
SOFTWARE 3.9%          
Adobe Systems Incorporated*   342,100     14,265,570
BEA Systems Inc.*   1,299,400     15,060,046
Business Objects S.A. (ADR)*   373,200     13,506,108
Electronic Arts Inc.*   399,500     20,118,820
Microsoft Corp.   1,481,656     41,293,753
          104,244,297
 
SPECIALTY RETAIL 3.8%          
Best Buy Co., Inc.   693,300     33,777,576
Foot Locker, Inc.   1,660,100     39,095,355
Urban Outfitters, Inc.*   1,103,800     29,261,738
          102,134,669
 
THRIFTS AND MORTGAGE          
   FINANCE 1.3%          
Countrywide Financial          
     Corporation   274,900     9,247,636
Washington Mutual, Inc.   616,100     24,878,118
          34,125,754
 
TOBACCO 3.7%          
Altria Group, Inc.        1,172,980     98,435,630
           
WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION          
   SERVICES 0.9%          
Sprint Nextel Corporation 1,276,600  
24,204,336
TOTAL COMMON STOCKS          
   AND WARRANTS
     
 
2,332,102,118
       
OPTIONS PURCHASED* 2.9%
     
 
BEVERAGES 0.1%
         
Coca-Cola Enterprises, Inc.,          
     Call expiring January          
     2008 at $15
  4,636     2,642,520
 
CAPITAL MARKETS 0.1%          
Bear Stearns Companies Inc. (The),
         
     Call expiring January 2008 at $150
  920     1,619,200
 
COMMUNICATIONS
         
   EQUIPMENT 0.4%
         
Comverse Technology, Inc.,          
     Call expiring January          
     2008 at $20
  20,083     7,531,125
QUALCOMM Inc.,          
     Call expiring January 2009 at $40
  3,277     3,322,878
          10,854,003
 
COMPUTERS AND          
   PERIPHERALS 0.2%
         
Dell Inc., Call expiring January          
     2008 at $25
  4,277     804,076
Palm, Inc., Call expiring January
         
     2008 at $17.5
  20,008     5,002,000
Seagate Technology, Call expiring          
     January 2008 at $17.5   1,326     888,420
          6,694,496
 
 
 
CONSUMER FINANCE 0.1%          
Capital One Financial Corporation,
         
     Call expiring January 2008 at $80
  5,465     3,442,950
 
ENERGY EQUIPMENT AND          
   SERVICES 0.1%          
Oil Service HOLDRS Trust, Call          
     expiring January 2008 at $140
  1,689     3,374,622

 
See footnotes on page 10.

 

7


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)  
March 31, 2007

    Number of      
    Contracts**/      
   
Partnership Interest
          
Value
FOOD PRODUCTS 0.1%          
Kraft Foods Inc., Put expiring          
     June 2007 at $35   5,239   $
     1,886,040
 
HEALTH CARE EQUIPMENT          
   AND SUPPLIES 0.1%          
Boston Scientific Corporation,          
     Call expiring January          
     2009 at $20   13,228    
2,050,340
 
HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS        
   AND SERVICES 0.1%        
Aetna Inc., Call expiring January        
     2008 at $42.5   3,409    
1,909,040
 
INTERNET SOFTWARE        
   AND SERVICES 0.2%        
Yahoo!, Inc., Call expiring        
     January 2009 at $30   7,244    
4,911,432
 
MACHINERY 0.1%        
Caterpillar Inc., Call expiring        
     January 2009 at $80   4,506    
2,478,300
 
METALS AND MINING 0.1%        
Alcoa Inc., Call expiring        
     January 2008 at $35   4,940    
1,457,300
 
OIL, GAS AND        
   CONSUMABLE FUELS 0.1%        
Murphy Oil Corporation, Call        
     expiring January 2008 at $50   2,667    
2,026,920
 
PAPER AND FOREST        
   PRODUCTS 0.1%        
International Paper Company,        
     Call expiring January 2009        
     at $40   5,598    
1,791,360
 
PHARMACEUTICALS 0.2%        
Bristol-Myers Squibb Company,        
     Call expiring September        
     2007 at $27.5          25,719    
5,015,205
           
SEMICONDUCTORS AND          
   SEMICONDUCTOR          
   EQUIPMENT 0.1%          
Intel Corporation, Call expiring          
     January 2009 at $20   4,586  
1,256,564
Marvell Technology Group, Ltd.,          
     Call expiring January 2009 at $20   4,961     1,537,910
Maxim Integrated Products, Inc.,          
     Call expiring January 2008 at $35   3,718     594,880
          3,389,354
SOFTWARE 0.0%          
Business Objects SA (ADR), Call          
     expiring April 2007 at $40   2,862     57,240
 
SPECIALTY RETAIL 0.0%          
Foot Locker Inc., Call expiring          
     January 2008 at $25   7,601     1,330,175
 
THRIFTS AND MORTGAGE          
   FINANCE 0.0%          
Countrywide Financial Corporation,          
     Call expiring January 2009 at $37.5   179     102,030
Countrywide Financial Corporation,          
     Call expiring January 2008 at $37.5   3,259     1,156,945
          1,258,975
 
TOBACCO 0.6%          
Altria Group Inc., Call expiring          
     January 2008 at $80   6,410     7,243,300
Altria Group Inc., Call expiring          
     January 2008 at $85   11,324     8,719,480
          15,962,780
 
 
WIRELESS          
   TELECOMMUNICATION          
   SERVICES 0.1%          
Sprint Nextel Corporation,          
     Call expiring January          
     2009 at $20   15,226     4,491,670
 
TOTAL OPTIONS PURCHASED         78,643,922
 
LIMITED PARTNERSHIP† 0.1%      
WCAS Capital Partners II, L.P. $4,292,803  
$4,292,803
    1,833,804

 
See footnotes on page 10.

8


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments (unaudited)  
March 31, 2007

    Principal Amount           
Value
SHORT-TERM            
   HOLDINGS 10.3%            
 
EQUITY-LINKED NOTES†† 8.8%        
Deutsche Bank:            
   19.85%, 8/6/2007(1)(a)   13,388,663   $      13,730,341  
   34.9%, 8/23/2007(1)(b)   19,272,000     18,253,860  
   30.1%, 9/5/2007(1)(c)   9,649,000     9,102,577  
Goldman Sachs Group (The):            
   8.25%, 7/27/07(1)(d)   11,675,060     13,243,352  
   13.75%, 8/2/07(1)(e)   13,020,774     12,530,201  
   33%, 8/6/07(1)(f)   18,880,900     18,671,322  
   34.8%, 8/9/07(1)(g)   17,451,100     17,023,548  
   30.8%, 9/4/07(1)(h)   19,272,300     18,100,544  
   9.8%, 9/27/07(1)(i)   12,009,268     12,268,927  
Merrill Lynch & Co., Inc.            
   30%, 10/3/07(1)(j)   13,655,000     12,948,217  
Morgan Stanley:            
   8.08%, 5/1/07(1)(d)   12,897,489     15,034,573  
   31.9%, 8/23/07(2)(m)   19,272,000     17,755,679  
   10.25%, 8/25/07(1)(k)   19,194,138     21,367,403  
   30%, 8/31/07(1)(l)   19,272,000     17,851,268  
   35.3%, 9/6/07(2)(n)   9,649,000     8,863,391  
   30.35%, 9/6/07(2)(o)   9,649,000     8,881,326  
          235,626,529  
 
REPURCHASE AGREEMENT 1.2%        
State Street Bank 4.65%,            
     dated 3/30/2007            
     maturing 4/2/2007 in the            
     amount of $32,009,399            
     collateralized by $33,330,000        
     US Treasury Notes            
     4.5%, due 8/15/2015,            
     with a fair market value            
     of $32,638,969   31,997,000     31,997,000  
 
US TREASURY NOTES 0.3%            
US Treasury Notes            
     3.625%, 4/30/07   7,035,000 ***   7,026,967  
TOTAL SHORT-TERM            
     HOLDINGS         274,650,496  
             
TOTAL            
     INVESTMENTS 100.2%         2,687,230,340  
OTHER ASSETS LESS            
     LIABILITIES (0.2)%         (4,073,859 )
NET INVESTMENT            
     ASSETS 100.0%       $ 2,683,156,481  
 
Schedule of Option Written
March 31, 2007
(unaudited)            
 
    Number of        
PUT OPTION WRITTEN   Contracts**  
Value
Las Vegas Sands Corp.,            
     expiring April 2007 at $90  
709
  $ (354,500 )

 
The cost of investments for federal income tax purposes was $2,648,130,590. The tax basis gross unrealized appreciation and depreciation of portfolio securities were $146,878,269 and $107,778,519, respectively.
 
See footnotes on page 10.

9


Tri-Continental Corporation

Portfolio of Investments  
March 31, 2007
(unaudited)    

 

 

*
   Non-income producing security.
     
**
  Each contract represents 100 shares.
     
***
  All or part of the security is held as collateral for options written. As of March 31, 2007, the value of securities held as collateral was $7,026,967.
     
  At March 31, 2007, Tri-Continental Corporation owned one limited partnership investment that was purchased through a private offering and cannot be sold without prior registration under the Securities Act of 1933 or pursuant to an exemption therefrom. The investment is valued at fair value as determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors of the Corporation. The acquisition date of the investment in the limited partnership, along with the cost and value at March 31, 2007, was as follows:
     
Investment  
Acquisition Date(s)
           Cost            Value
WCAS Capital Partners II, L.P.  
12/11/90 to 3/24/98
  $4,301,124   $1,833,804
             
   The security may be offered and sold only to a “qualified institutional buyer” under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. These notes are exchangeable at maturity, based on the terms of the respective notes, for shares of common stock of a company or cash at a maturity value which is generally determined as follows:
     
    (1)     

The principal amount of the notes plus or minus the lesser of A) the lowest return of the company’s or companies’ respective stock price determined at maturity from the date of purchase of the notes, or B) the percent limit indicated below in parenthesis:

 
      (a)     

SanDisk Corporation (+10%)

 
      (b)

Amdocs Limited, Boston Scientific Corporation and Palm, Inc. (+10%)

 
      (c)

Alcatel-Lucent, BEA Systems, Inc. and Best Buy Co., Inc. (+5%)

 
      (d)

Yahoo! Inc. (+20%)

 
      (e)

Marvell Technology Group Ltd. (+20%)

 
      (f)

Motorola, Inc., SanDisk Corporation and Yahoo! (+10%)

 
      (g)

KLA-Tencor Corporation, Peabody Energy Corporation and Urban Outfitters, Inc. (+10%)

 
      (h)

BEA Systems, Inc., Sprint Nextel Corporation and Weatherford International Ltd. (+10%)

 
      (i)

Seagate Technology (+20%)

 
      (j)

Archer-Daniels-Midland Company, Countrywide Financial Corporation and Foot Locker, Inc. (+10%)

 
      (k)

eBay (+20%)

 
      (l)

Coldwater Creek Inc., Comverse Technology, Inc. and Halliburton Company (+10%)

 
    (2)

A) If the stock price of any of the companies falls 20% or more at any time during the period from the date of purchase of the notes to maturity, the lesser of i) the principal amount of the notes, or ii) the principal amount of the notes plus or minus the lowest return of the companies’ respective stock prices determined at maturity from the date of purchase of the notes; or otherwise B) the principal amount of the notes:

 
      (m) Advanced Micro Devices, Inc., Alcoa Inc. and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company  
           
      (n)

Broadcom Corporation, Herbalife Ltd. and Rite Aid Corporation

 
      (o)

Corning Incorporated, Las Vegas Sands Corp. and Smurfit-Stone Container Corporation

ADR — American Depositary Receipt.

Security Valuation — Securities traded on an exchange are valued at the last sales price on the primary exchange or market on which they are traded. Securities not listed on an exchange or security market, or securities for which there is no last sales price, are valued at the mean of the most recent bid and asked prices or are valued by J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated (the “Manager”) based on quotations provided by primary market makers in such securities. Securities for which market quotations are not readily available (or are otherwise no longer valid or reliable) are valued at fair value determined in accordance with procedures approved by the Board of Directors. This can occur in the event of, among other things, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, market disruptions, intra-day trading halts, and extreme market volatility. 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 prices used by other investment companies to determine net asset value or the price that may be realized upon the actual sale of the security. Short-term holdings that mature in more than 60 days are valued at current market quotations. Short-term holdings maturing in 60 days or less are valued at current market quotations or amortized cost if the Manager believes it approximates fair value.

10


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 70½ may contribute up to $4,000 per year to a Traditional IRA for 2007. A working or non-working spouse may also contribute up to $4,000 to a separate Traditional IRA for 2007. 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 $1,000. 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 2007 is less than $51,000. For spouses who are both covered by a plan, contributions will be fully deductible if your MAGI is less than $83,000. 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 $156,000. 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 $4,000 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 $4,000 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 $1,000. 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 59½, for disability, upon death, or to make a first-time home purchase (up to $10,000). Unlike a Traditional IRA, you may contribute to a Roth IRA even if you are over age 70½ (if you have earned income), and you are not required to take minimum distributions at age 70½. You may

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Tri-Continental Corporation

Stockholder Services (continued)

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 $45,000 per participant. For retirement plan purposes, no more than $225,000 may be taken into account as earned income under the plan in 2007. 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 $12,000 a year to as many individuals as desired free of federal gift tax, and a married couple may give up to $24,000 a year.

Stock Repurchase Program. On November 16, 2006, 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% of the Corporation’s shares during the period from January 1, 2007 through December 31, 2007, 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, increase the liquidity of Tri-Continental’s common stock, and reduce the dilutive impact on Stockholders who do not take capital gains distributions, when such distributions are made, in additional shares.

     Between January 1, 2007 and March 31, 2007, 1 million shares were repurchased. This is approximately 1% of the shares outstanding at the beginning of the period. On April 6, 2007, the Board of Directors approved a suspension of the stock repurchase program pending the outcome of the vote of Stockholders of the Corporation on a proposal to implement a Distribution Policy.

12


Tri-Continental Corporation

Board of Directors

John R. Galvin (1,3)   Leroy C. Richie (1,3)
Dean Emeritus, Fletcher School of Law   Counsel, Lewis & Munday, P.C.
 and Diplomacy at Tufts University   Director, Vibration Control Technologies, LLC
Chairman Emeritus, American Council   Lead Outside Director, Digital Ally Inc. and Infinity, Inc.
 on Germany   Director and Chairman, Highland Park Michigan
     Economic Development Corp.
John F. Maher (1,3)   Chairman, Detroit Public Schools Foundation
Retired President and Chief Executive Officer,    
 Great Western Financial Corporation and its   Robert L. Shafer (2,3)
 principal subsidiary, Great Western Bank   Ambassador and Permanent Observer of the Sovereign
     Military Order of Malta to the United Nations
Frank A. McPherson (2,3)    
Retired Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive   James N. Whitson (1,3)
 Officer, Kerr-McGee Corporation   Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Operating
Director, DCP Midstream GP, LLP, Integris Health,    Officer, Sammons Enterprises, Inc.
 Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation,   Director, CommScope, Inc.
 Oklahoma Foundation for Excellence in Education,    
 National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum, and   Brian T. Zino
 Oklahoma City Museum of Art   Director and President,
     J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated
Betsy S. Michel (2,3)   Chairman, Seligman Data Corp.
Attorney   Director, Seligman Advisors, Inc., and
Trustee, The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation    Seligman Services, Inc.
 
William C. Morris  
 
Chairman and Director, J. & W. Seligman & Co.   Member:    (1) Audit Committee
 Incorporated, Carbo Ceramics Inc., Seligman  
(2) Director Nominating Committee
   Advisors, Inc., and Seligman Services, Inc.     (3) Board Operations Committee
Director, Seligman Data Corp.    
President and Chief Executive Officer,    
 The Metropolitan Opera Association    

13


Tri-Continental Corporation

Executive Officers

William C. Morris Thomas G. Rose
Chairman Vice President
   
Brian T. Zino Lawrence P. Vogel
President and Chief Executive Officer Vice President and Treasurer
   
John B. Cunningham Frank J. Nasta
Vice President Secretary
   
Eleanor T.M. Hoagland Marco F. Acosta
Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer Assistant Vice President
   
Charles W. Kadlec  
Vice President  

 

Additional Fund Information

Manager Important Telephone Numbers
J. & W. Seligman & Co. Incorporated (800) TRI-1092      Stockholder Services
100 Park Avenue    
New York, NY 10017 (800) 445-1777 Retirement Plan Services
     
Stockholder Service Agent (212) 682-7600 Outside the United States
Seligman Data Corp.    
100 Park Avenue (800) 622-4597 24-Hour Automated
New York, NY 10017   Telephone Access Service
 
   
Mail Inquiries To:
   
P.O. Box 9759    
Providence, RI 02940-9759    

This report is intended only for the information of Stockholders who have received the current prospectus covering shares of Common Stock of Tri-Continental Corporation, which contains information about investment objectives, risks, management fees and other costs. The prospectus should be read carefully before investing and may be obtained by calling Stockholder Services at 800-TRI-1092.

 

END OF FIRST QUARTER REPORT

 

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