UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM N-Q

 

QUARTERLY SCHEDULE OF PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS OF REGISTERED

MANAGEMENT INVESTMENT COMPANY

 

Investment Company Act file number 811-02363

 

Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc.

 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

 

48 Wall Street New York, NY 10005
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip code)

 

Hoyt M. Peters

 

AST Fund Solutions, LLC 48 Wall Street New York, NY 10005
(Name and address of agent for service)

 

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (866) 668-6558

 

Date of fiscal year end: December 31

 

Date of reporting period: March 31, 2018

 

 

 

Item 1. Schedule of Investments.

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

             

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

EQUITY SECURITIES - 99.53%       
CLOSED-END FUNDS - 20.52%      
CORE - 4.44%      
Adams Diversified Equity Fund, Inc.   330,025   $4,877,770 
General American Investors Company, Inc.   129,575    4,336,875 
Royce Micro-Cap Trust, Inc.   106,890    1,000,490 
Royce Value Trust   11,100    172,716 
Source Capital, Inc.   13,939    556,096 
Tri-Continental Corporation   54,554    1,435,316 
         12,379,263 
DEVELOPED MARKET - 0.76%          
Aberdeen Singapore Fund, Inc.   22,977    304,675 
European Equity Fund, Inc. (The)   2,101    20,296 
Japan Smaller Capitalization Fund, Inc.   49,261    605,418 
Morgan Stanley Asia-Pacific Fund, Inc.   40,225    732,497 
New Germany Fund, Inc. (The)   5,772    112,727 
New Ireland Fund, Inc. (The)   20,064    241,771 
Swiss Helvetia Fund, Inc. (The)   9,411    115,285 
         2,132,669 
EMERGING MARKETS - 4.96%          
Central Europe, Russia and Turkey Fund, Inc. (The )   36,221    926,533 
India Fund, Inc. (The)   100,517    2,475,734 
Latin American Discovery Fund, Inc. (The)   25,300    312,202 
Mexico Equity & Income Fund Inc.   40,588    444,844 
Mexico Fund, Inc. (The)   65,079    1,054,931 
Morgan Stanley China A Share Fund, Inc.   155,562    3,873,494 
Morgan Stanley India Investment Fund, Inc.   47,044    1,429,197 
Templeton Dragon Fund, Inc.   117,077    2,603,792 
Templeton Emerging Markets Fund   43,558    709,124 
         13,829,851 
GLOBAL - 0.98%          
Gabelli Global Small and Mid Cap Value Trust (The)   121,475    1,452,841 
GDL Fund (The)   96,213    896,705 
Royce Global Value Trust, Inc.   34,788    381,624 
         2,731,170 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

               

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

GLOBAL INCOME - 0.05%
BrandywineGLOBAL — Global Income Opportunities Fund Inc.   10,100   $130,189 
           
INCOME & PREFERRED STOCK - 0.37%          
LMP Capital and Income Fund Inc.   80,839    1,020,188 
           
NATURAL RESOURCES - 2.70%          
Adams Natural Resources Fund, Inc.   193,802    3,534,948 
BlackRock Resources & Commodities Strategy Trust   449,861    3,994,766 
         7,529,714 
OPTION ARBITRAGE/OPTIONS STRATEGIES - 0.03%          
First Trust Enhanced Equity Income Fund   5,899    87,128 
           
PACIFIC EX JAPAN - 0.14%          
Korea Fund, Inc. (The)   9,488    387,300 
           
REAL ESTATE - 2.91%          
Alpine Global Premier Properties Fund   195,312    1,218,747 
CBRE Clarion Global Real Estate Income Fund   313,444    2,291,276 
Cohen & Steers Preferred Securities and Income Fund, Inc.   162,505    3,037,218 
RMR Real Estate Income Fund   94,097    1,568,597 
         8,115,838 
SECTOR EQUITY - 1.09%          
Gabelli Healthcare & WellnessRx Trust   138,441    1,315,190 
Nuveen Real Asset Income and Growth Fund   106,336    1,724,770 
         3,039,960 
UTILITY - 1.34%          
Cohen & Steers Infrastructure Fund, Inc.   106,138    2,272,415 
Gabelli Global Utility & Income Trust (The)   5,547    103,173 
Macquarie Global Infrastructure Total Return Fund Inc.   60,906    1,352,113 
         3,727,701 
VALUE - 0.75%          
John Hancock Tax-Advantaged Dividend Income Fund   96,989    2,102,722 
           

TOTAL CLOSED-END FUNDS        57,213,693 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

               

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

CONSUMER DISCRETIONARY - 10.80%          
Amazon.com, Inc. *   6,500   $9,407,710 
Carnival Corporation   7,000    459,060 
Comcast Corporation - Class A   103,000    3,519,510 
Ford Motor Company   54,400    602,752 
General Motors Company   18,000    654,120 
Home Depot, Inc. (The)   25,000    4,456,000 
Lowe's Companies, Inc.   17,000    1,491,750 
McDonald's Corporation   16,600    2,595,908 
Netflix, Inc. *   9,000    2,658,150 
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd.   4,500    529,830 
Starbucks Corporation   30,000    1,736,700 
Time Warner, Inc.   7,000    662,060 
TJX Companies, Inc. (The)   9,000    734,040 
Twenty-First Century Fox, Inc.   8,500    309,145 
Yum! Brands, Inc.   3,500    297,955 
         30,114,690 
CONSUMER STAPLES - 6.08%          
Altria Group, Inc.   29,000    1,807,280 
British American Tobacco p.l.c. - ADR   7,364    424,829 
Constellation Brands, Inc.   4,000    911,680 
Costco Wholesale Corporation   7,000    1,319,010 
CVS Health Corporation   15,000    933,150 
Estée Lauder Companies Inc. (The) - Class A   7,000    1,048,040 
Kroger Company (The)   14,000    335,160 
Lamb Weston Holdings, Inc.   1    58 
Mondelez International, Inc.   23,000    959,790 
PepsiCo, Inc.   28,000    3,056,200 
Philip Morris International Inc.   20,000    1,988,000 
Procter & Gamble Company (The)   24,000    1,902,720 
Sysco Corporation   12,000    719,520 
Tyson Foods, Inc.   5,000    365,950 
Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.   18,000    1,178,460 
         16,949,847 
ENERGY - 3.19%          
Chevron Corporation   25,000    2,851,000 
Concho Resources Inc. *   2,000    300,660 
ConocoPhillips   17,000    1,007,930 
Devon Energy Corporation   7,500    238,425 
EOG Resources, Inc.   8,000    842,160 
Exxon Mobil Corporation   35,000    2,611,350 
Occidental Petroleum Corporation   10,900    708,064 
Pioneer Natural Resources Company   2,000    343,560 
         8,903,149 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

 

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS - 1.14%        
iShares Core S&P 500 ETF   6,000   $1,592,220 
SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust   6,000    1,578,900 
         3,171,120 
FINANCIALS - 12.40%          
Allstate Corporation (The)   8,000    758,400 
American Express Company   16,000    1,492,480 
Ameriprise Financial, Inc.   3,000    443,820 
Aon plc   7,000    982,310 
Bank of America Corporation   131,000    3,928,690 
Bank of New York Mellon Corporation (The)   21,000    1,082,130 
BlackRock, Inc. - Class A   3,000    1,625,160 
Brighthouse Financial, Inc. *   1    52 
Citigroup Inc.   48,700    3,287,250 
CME Group Inc.   6,000    970,440 
Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. (The)   7,000    1,763,020 
Intercontinental Exchange, Inc.   10,000    725,200 
JPMorgan Chase & Co.   76,000    8,357,720 
Marsh & McLennan Companies, Inc.   10,000    825,900 
Moody's Corporation   4,000    645,200 
Morgan Stanley   30,500    1,645,780 
PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (The)   10,000    1,512,400 
Prudential Financial, Inc.   5,000    517,750 
S&P Global Inc.   6,000    1,146,360 
State Street Corporation   8,000    797,840 
SunTrust Banks, Inc.   8,000    544,320 
U.S. Bancorp   30,000    1,515,000 
         34,567,222 
HEALTH CARE - 11.84%          
Abbott Laboratories   21,000    1,258,320 
AbbVie Inc.   45,000    4,259,250 
Aetna Inc.   7,000    1,183,000 
Allergan plc   1,900    319,751 
Amgen Inc.   20,000    3,409,600 
Baxter International Inc.   11,000    715,440 
Becton, Dickinson and Company   5,000    1,083,500 
Boston Scientific Corporation *   27,000    737,640 
Celgene Corporation *   16,000    1,427,360 
Cigna Corporation   5,000    838,700 
Danaher Corporation   9,000    881,190 
Eli Lilly and Company   17,000    1,315,290 
Express Scripts Holding Company *   13,000    898,040 
Humana Inc.   3,000    806,490 
Johnson & Johnson   42,000    5,382,300 
McKesson Corporation   2,000    281,740 
Medtronic Plc   19,000    1,524,180 
Stryker Corporation   6,000    965,520 
Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.   8,000    1,651,680 
UnitedHealth Group Incorporated   19,000    4,066,000 
         33,004,991 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

               

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

INDUSTRIALS - 8.31%        
3M Company   9,000   $1,975,680 
Boeing Company (The)   12,000    3,934,560 
Caterpillar Inc.   11,000    1,621,180 
CSX Corporation   20,900    1,164,339 
Cummins Inc.   2,000    324,180 
Delta Air Lines, Inc   15,000    822,150 
FedEx Corporation   5,500    1,320,605 
Deere & Company   6,000    931,920 
Eaton Corporation plc   6,000    479,460 
Honeywell International Inc.   11,000    1,589,610 
Illinois Tool Works Inc.   6,500    1,018,290 
Ingersoll-Rand Plc   4,000    342,040 
Lockheed Martin Corporation   6,000    2,027,580 
Republic Services, Inc.   4,000    264,920 
Roper Technologies, Inc.   2,500    701,725 
Southwest Airlines Co.   12,000    687,360 
Union Pacific Corporation   16,000    2,150,880 
United Parcel Service, Inc.   10,100    1,057,066 
Waste Management, Inc.   9,000    757,080 
         23,170,625 
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - 22.06%          
Accenture plc - Class A   8,000    1,228,000 
Adobe Systems Incorporated *   10,000    2,160,800 
Alphabet Inc. - Class C *   7,002    7,224,594 
Amphenol Corporation   8,000    689,040 
Analog Devices, Inc.   10,500    956,865 
Apple Inc.   63,000    10,570,140 
Applied Materials, Inc.   27,000    1,501,470 
Broadcom Limited   8,000    1,885,200 
Cognizant Technology Solutions Corporation   8,000    644,000 
Facebook, Inc. - Class A *   60,000    9,587,400 
Fiserv, Inc. *   10,000    713,100 
Intel Corporation   95,200    4,958,016 
Intuit Inc.   5,000    866,750 
Mastercard Incorporated   19,000    3,328,040 
Micron Technology, Inc.   20,000    1,042,800 
Microsoft Corporation   72,400    6,607,948 
Oracle Corporation   60,700    2,777,025 
TE Connectivity Ltd.   8,000    799,200 
Visa, Inc. - Class A   33,100    3,959,422 
         61,499,810 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS - MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

               

Description    No. of Shares     Value  

MATERIALS - 1.54%        
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc.   3,000   $477,090 
DowDuPont Inc.   30,820    1,963,542 
Ecolab Inc.   4,000    548,280 
Monsanto Company   5,000    583,450 
Praxair, Inc.   5,000    721,500 
         4,293,862 
TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES - 0.62%          
AT&T, Inc.   48,103    1,714,872 
           
UTILITIES - 1.03%          
American Electric Power Company, Inc.   10,000    685,900 
DTE Energy Company   4,000    417,600 
Edison International   4,500    286,470 
NextEra Energy, Inc.   9,000    1,469,970 
         2,859,940 

 

TOTAL EQUITY SECURITIES (cost - $249,941,239)        277,463,821 
           
SHORT-TERM INVESTMENT - 0.60%          
MONEY MARKET FUND - 0.60%          
Fidelity Institutional Money Market Government Portfolio - Class I, 1.49%^ (cost - $1,665,971)   1,665,971    1,665,971 
           
TOTAL INVESTMENTS - 100.13% (cost - $251,607,210)        279,129,792 
           
LIABILITIES IN EXCESS OF OTHER ASSETS - (0.13)%        (355,946)
           
NET ASSETS - 100.00%       $278,773,846 

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

*Non-income producing security.
^The rate shown is the 7-day effective yield as of March 31, 2018.

 

See accompanying notes to schedule of investments.

 

 

 

 

CORNERSTONE TOTAL RETURN FUND, INC.

NOTES TO SCHEDULE OF INVESTMENTS

MARCH 31, 2018 (Unaudited)

 

 

Federal Income Tax Cost: The following information is computed on a tax basis for each item as of March 31, 2018:

 

Cost of portfolio investments  $251,674,841 
Gross unrealized appreciation  $34,813,010 
Gross unrealized depreciation   (7,358,059)
Net unrealized appreciation  $27,454,951 

 

The difference between the federal income tax cost of portfolio investments and the Schedule of Investments cost for the Fund is due to certain timing differences in the recognition of capital gains or losses under income tax regulations and generally accepted accounting principles. These "book/tax" differences are temporary in nature and are due to the tax deferral of losses on wash sales.

As required by the Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures Topic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification, the Fund has performed an analysis of all assets and liabilities measured at fair value to determine the significance and character of all inputs to their fair value determination.

The fair value hierarchy prioritizes the inputs to valuation techniques used to measure fair value into the following three broad categories:

 

Level 1 - quoted unadjusted prices for identical instruments in active markets to which the Fund has access at the date of measurement.

 

Level 2 - quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active; and model-derived valuations in which all significant inputs and significant value drivers are observable in active markets. Level 2 inputs are those in markets for which there are few transactions, the prices are not current, little public information exists or instances where prices vary substantially over time or among brokered market makers.

 

Level 3 - model derived valuations in which one or more significant inputs or significant value drivers are unobservable. Unobservable inputs are those inputs that reflect the Fund's own assumptions that market participants would use to price the asset or liability based on the best available information.

 

 

 

 

The following is a summary of the inputs used as of March 31, 2018 in valuing the Fund's investments carried at value:

 

VALUATION INPUTS  INVESTMENTS
IN SECURITIES
   OTHER FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS* 
         
Level 1 – Quoted Prices          
Equity Investments  $277,463,821   $- 
Short-Term Investments   1,665,971    - 
Level 2 – Other Significant Observable Inputs   -    - 
Level 3 – Significant Unobservable Inputs   -    - 
Total  $279,129,792   $- 

 

*Other financial instruments include futures, forwards and swap contracts, if any.

 

The breakdown of the Fund's investments into major categories is disclosed in its Schedule of Investments.

 

As of March 31, 2018, the Fund did not have any transfers in and out of any Level.

 

The Fund did not have any assets or liabilities that were measured at fair value on a recurring basis using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) at March 31, 2018.

 

On October 13, 2016, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) adopted new rules and forms and amended existing rules and forms which are intended to modernize and enhance the reporting and disclosure of information by registered investment companies and to improve the quality of information that funds provide to investors, including modifications to Regulation S-X which would require standardized, enhanced disclosure about derivatives in investment company financial statements. The compliance dates of the other amendments and rules is April 2019 for larger fund groups and April 2020 for smaller fund groups. Management is currently evaluating the impacts to the financial statement disclosures.

 

The Fund is exposed to financial market risks, including the valuations of its investment portfolio. During the three months ended March 31, 2018, the Fund did not engage in derivative instruments and other hedging activities.

 

The Fund has evaluated the need for additional disclosures and/or adjustments resulting through the date its financial statements were issued. Based on this evaluation, no additional disclosures or adjustments were required to such Schedule of Investments.

 

Securities valuation policies and other investment related disclosures are hereby incorporated by reference to the Fund's annual report previously filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Form N-CSR on February 15, 2018 with a file number 811-02363.

 

Other information regarding the Fund is available in the Fund’s most recent annual report. This information is also available on the Fund’s website at www.cornerstonetotalreturnfund.com; or on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov.

 

 

 

Item 2. Controls and Procedures.

 

(a) Based on their evaluation of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 30a-3(c) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) as of a date within 90 days of the filing date of this report, the registrant’s principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that such disclosure controls and procedures are reasonably designed and are operating effectively to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to them by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared, and that such information is recorded, processed, summarized, and reported on a timely basis.

 

(b) There were no changes in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 30a-3(d) under the Investment Company Act of 1940) that occurred during the registrant’s last fiscal quarter that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

 

Item 3. Exhibits.

 

File as exhibits as part of this Form a separate certification for each principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the registrant as required by Rule 30a-2(a) under the Act (17 CFR 270.30a-2(a)): Attached hereto.

 

 

 

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.

 

(Registrant) Cornerstone Total Return Fund, Inc.

 

By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Ralph W. Bradshaw  
    Ralph W. Bradshaw, President and Chairman  
    (Principal Executive Officer)  
       
Date May 18, 2018    
       
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 (Signature and Title)* /s/ Ralph W. Bradshaw  
    Ralph W. Bradshaw, President and Chairman  
    (Principal Executive Officer)  
       
Date May 18, 2018    
       
By (Signature and Title)* /s/ Alan M. Mandel  
   

Alan M. Mandel, Treasurer

(Principal Financial Officer)

 
       
Date May 18, 2018    

 

*Print the name and title of each signing officer under his or her signature.