UNITED STATES SECURITIES & EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, D.C. 20549 Form 13F Form 13F COVER PAGE Report for the Calendar Year or Quarter Ended March 31, 2004 Check here if Amendment [ ]; Amendment Number: This amendment (Check only one.) : [ ] is a restatement [ ] adds new holdings entries. Institutional Investment Manager Filing this Report: Name: The Adams Express Company Address: 7 St. Paul Street, Suite 1140 Baltimore, MD 21202 Form 13F File Number: 28-597 The institutional investment manager filing this report and the person by whom it is signed hereby represent that the person signing the report is authorized to submit it, that all information contained herein is true, correct and complete, and that it is understood that all required items, statements, schedules, lists,and tables, are considered integral parts of this form. Person Signing this Report on Behalf of Reporting Manager: Name: Christine M. Sloan Title: Assistant Treasurer Phone: (410) 752-5900 Signature, Place, and Date of Signing: Christine M. Sloan Baltimore, MD July 18, 2003 [Signature] [City, State] [Date] Report Type (Check only one.): [X] 13F HOLDINGS REPORT. (Check here if all holdings of this reporting manager are reported in this report.) [ ] 13F NOTICE. (Check here if no holdings reported are in this report, and all holdings are reported by other [ ] 13F COMBINATION REPORT. (Check here if a portion of the holdings for this reporting manager are reported in this report and a portion are reported by other reporting manager (s).) List of Other Managers Reporting for this Manager: Form 13F File Number Name 28 [Repeat as necessary.] Form 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 0 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 86 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $ 1,204,578 (in thousands) List of Other Included Managers: Provide a numbered list of the name (s) and Form 13F file number(s) of all institutional investment managers with respect to which this report is filed, other than the manager filing this report. [If there are no entries in this list, state "NONE" and omit the column headings and list entries.] No. Form 13-F File No. Name 28- [Repeat as necessary.] COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CLASS CUSIP VALUE IN SHARES/PRN SH/ PUT/ INVSTM OTHER VOTING AUTHORITY 000's AMOUNT PRN CALLDISCRETNMANAGERS SOLE SHARED NONE >C> 3M COMPANY COM 88579Y101 13,509 165,000 SH SOLE 165,000 ABBOTT LABS COM 002824100 14,385 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 AFFYMETRIX INC. COM 00826T108 3,713 110,000 SH SOLE 110,000 AIR PRODUCTS & CHEMICA COM 009158106 12,530 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 ALBEMARLE CORP. COM 012653101 6,537 225,400 SH SOLE 225,400 ALLTEL CORP. COM 020039103 17,462 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 AMBAC FINANCIAL GROUP COM 023139108 29,512 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 AMERICAN INT'L GROUP I COM 026874107 52,704 738,675 SH SOLE 738,675 AQUA AMERICA, INC. COM 03836W103 20,596 950,000 SH SOLE 950,000 BANK OF AMERICA COM 060505104 16,196 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 BANKNORTH GROUP, INC. COM 06646R107 16,135 474,000 SH SOLE 474,000 BEA SYSTEMS INC. COM 073325102 10,208 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 BELLSOUTH CORP COM 079860102 11,491 415,000 SH SOLE 415,000 BJ WHOLESALE CLUB COM 05548J106 12,725 500,000 SH SOLE 500,000 BLACK AND DECKER CORP COM 091797100 17,082 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 BLACK HILLS CORP COM 092113109 8,605 270,000 SH SOLE 270,000 BMC SOFTWARE COM 055921100 6,061 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 BP P.L.C. SPONSORED ADR055622104 13,824 270,000 SH SOLE 270,000 BRINKER INTL INC COM 109641100 15,172 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 BRISTOL MYERS SQUIBB COM 110122108 8,359 345,000 SH SOLE 345,000 CANADIAN NATIONAL RAIL COM 136375102 10,029 255,000 SH SOLE 255,000 CINERGY CORP COM 172474108 17,992 440,000 SH SOLE 440,000 CISCO SYSTEMS COM 17275R102 28,224 1,200,000 SH SOLE 1,200,000 COMPASS BANKSHARES INC COM 20449H109 12,441 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 CONOCOPHILLIPS COM 20825C104 13,962 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CORNING INC COM 219350105 13,081 1,170,000 SH SOLE 1,170,000 CREE INC. COM 225447101 5,439 243,900 SH SOLE 243,900 DEAN FOODS COM 242370104 18,788 562,500 SH SOLE 562,500 DELL INC. COM 24702R101 13,448 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 DIAMONDCLUSTER INTERNA COM 25278P106 4,816 497,500 SH SOLE 497,500 DONNELLEY R R & SONS C COM 257867101 12,100 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 DUKE ENERGY 8.25% DUE PFD CV 264399585 5,920 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 DUKE ENERGY CORP. COM 264399106 8,023 355,000 SH SOLE 355,000 EMERSON ELECTRIC COM 291011104 11,984 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 ENZON PHARMACEUTICALS COM 293904108 1,543 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 EXXON MOBIL CORP. COM 30231G102 5,407 130,000 SH SOLE 130,000 FIFTH THIRD BANC COM 316773100 8,582 155,000 SH SOLE 155,000 GANNETT INC. COM 364730101 7,712 87,500 SH SOLE 87,500 GENENTECH, INC COM 368710406 14,286 135,000 SH SOLE 135,000 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. COM 369604103 45,405 1,487,700 SH SOLE 1,487,700 HCA INC. COM 404119109 18,279 450,000 SH SOLE 450,000 HERSHEY FOODS CORP. COM 427866108 5,800 70,000 SH SOLE 70,000 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS COM 452308109 10,696 135,000 SH SOLE 135,000 INGERSOLL-RAND CO. LTD CL A G4776G101 13,868 205,000 SH SOLE 205,000 INTEL CORP COM 458140100 8,432 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 INVESTORS FINANCIAL SE COM 461915100 17,974 435,000 SH SOLE 435,000 JOHNSON & JOHNSON COM 478160104 18,259 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 KEYSPAN CORP. COM 49337W100 15,288 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 LAB CORP. OF AMERICA COM 50540R409 16,485 420,000 SH SOLE 420,000 LUCENT TECHNOLOGIES COM 549463107 8,631 2,100,000 SH SOLE 2,100,000 MATTEL INC COM 577081102 10,603 575,000 SH SOLE 575,000 MDU RESOURCES GROUP, I COM 552690109 15,856 675,000 SH SOLE 675,000 MEDIMMUNE INC. COM 584699102 5,193 225,000 SH SOLE 225,000 MEDTRONIC INC. COM 585055106 14,803 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 MICROSOFT CORP COM 594918104 19,976 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC. COM 651229106 11,948 515,000 SH SOLE 515,000 NOKIA CORP SPONSORED ADR654902204 8,112 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 ORACLE CORP COM 68389X105 10,569 880,000 SH SOLE 880,000 PARKER-HANNIFIN COM 701094104 15,538 275,000 SH SOLE 275,000 PEPSI CO. INC. COM 713448108 23,694 440,000 SH SOLE 440,000 PETROLEUM & RESOURCES COM 716549100 46,810 1,985,996 SH SOLE 1,985,996 PFIZER INC COM 717081103 38,555 1,100,000 SH SOLE 1,100,000 PROCTER & GAMBLE COMPA COM 742718109 17,830 170,000 SH SOLE 170,000 PROVIDENT BANKSHARES C COM 743859100 10,513 335,021 SH SOLE 335,021 ROHM & HAAS CO. COM 775371107 15,936 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 SAFEWAY, INC COM 786514208 8,705 423,000 SH SOLE 423,000 SAPIENT CORP COM 803062108 6,935 1,150,000 SH SOLE 1,150,000 SBC COMMUNICATIONS COM 78387G103 14,601 595,000 SH SOLE 595,000 SCHLUMBERGER LTD COM 806857108 12,132 190,000 SH SOLE 190,000 SIEBEL SYSTEMS INC. COM 826170102 9,208 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINE COM 832727101 7,713 438,500 SH SOLE 438,500 SOLECTRON CORP COM 834182107 10,231 1,850,000 SH SOLE 1,850,000 SUN MICROSYSTEMS INC. COM 866810104 2,142 515,000 SH SOLE 515,000 SYMANTEC 3%CONV.DEB.11 NOTE 3% 11/06871503AA6 1,355 500,000 PRN SOLE 500,000 SYMANTEC CORP. COM 871503108 10,881 235,000 SH SOLE 235,000 TARGET CORP. COM 87612E106 20,718 460,000 SH SOLE 460,000 TECO ENERGY, INC COM 872375100 9,510 650,000 SH SOLE 650,000 THE COCA-COLA CO. COM 191216100 10,060 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 UNITED PARCEL SERVICES COM CL B 911312106 5,587 80,000 SH SOLE 80,000 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES COM 913017109 23,733 275,000 SH SOLE 275,000 VODAFONE GROUP PLC SPONSORED ADR92857W100 11,773 492,613 SH SOLE 492,613 WACHOVIA CORP. NEW COM 929903102 17,390 370,000 SH SOLE 370,000 WELLS FARGO COMPANY COM 949746101 22,668 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 WILMINGTON TRUST CORP. COM 971807102 15,695 420,000 SH SOLE 420,000 WYETH COMPANY COM 983024100 11,265 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 ZIMMER HLDGS INC. COM 98956P102 6,640 90,000 SH SOLE 90,000 1,204,578