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, 2010 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: /s/ Christine M. Sloan Baltimore, MD April 23, 2010 [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 reporting manager(s).) [ ] 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).) Form 13F SUMMARY PAGE Report Summary: Number of Other Included Managers: 0 Form 13F Information Table Entry Total: 78 Form 13F Information Table Value Total: $1,063,171 (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. NONE COLUMN 1 COLUMN 2 COLUMN 3 COLUMN 4 COLUMN 5 COLUMN 6 COLUMN 7 COLUMN 8 NAME OF ISSUER TITLE OF CUSIP VALUE IN SHARES SH/ PUT/ INVST OTHER VOTING CLASS 000's PRN CALL DISCRETN MANAGERS AUTHORITY SOLE SHAREDNONE >C> ABBOTT LABORATORIES COM 002824100 16,858 320,000 SH SOLE 320,000 APPLE INC. COM 037833100 17,620 75,000 SH SOLE 75,000 AT&T CORP. COM 00206R102 10,336 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 AUTOMATIC DATA PROCESS COM 053015103 13,341 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 AVON PRODUCTS, INC. COM 054303102 10,994 324,600 SH SOLE 324,600 BANK OF AMERICA CORP. COM 060505104 21,152 1,185,000 SH SOLE 1,185,000 BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON COM 064058100 12,469 403,775 SH SOLE 403,775 BRISTOL-MYERS SQUIBB COM 110122108 4,247 159,061 SH SOLE 159,061 BROADCOM CORP. COM 111320107 13,272 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 BUNGE LTD. COM G16962105 9,861 160,000 SH SOLE 160,000 CAPITAL ONE FINANCIAL COM 14040H105 4,141 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 CHEVRON CORP. COM 166764100 15,166 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CINTAS CORP. COM 172908105 8,427 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 CISCO SYSTEMS, INC. COM 17275R102 22,125 850,000 SH SOLE 850,000 CLIFFS NAT RESOURCES COM 18683K101 7,247 102,140 SH SOLE 102,140 COCA-COLA CO. COM 191216100 13,750 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 CONSOL ENERGY INC. COM 20854P109 8,532 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 CURTISS-WRIGHT CORP. COM 231561101 12,528 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 CVS/CAREMARK CORP. COM 126650100 10,420 285,000 SH SOLE 285,000 DEAN FOODS CO. COM 242370104 6,668 425,000 SH SOLE 425,000 DEL MONTE FOODS CO. COM 24522P103 11,680 800,000 SH SOLE 800,000 DELL INC. COM 24702R101 4,278 285,000 SH SOLE 285,000 EMERSON ELECTRIC CO. COM 291011104 15,102 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 EXXON MOBIL CORP. COM 30231G102 14,401 215,000 SH SOLE 215,000 FREEPORT-MCMORAN COM 35671D857 9,607 115,000 SH SOLE 115,000 GENERAL ELECTRIC CO. COM 369604103 27,082 1,488,000 SH SOLE 1,488,000 GILEAD SCIENCES INC. COM 375558103 9,096 200,000 SH SOLE 200,000 GOOGLE INC. COM 38259P508 13,608 24,000 SH SOLE 24,000 HALLIBURTON CO. COM 406216101 9,039 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 HANSEN NATURAL CORP. COM 411310105 11,279 260,000 SH SOLE 260,000 HARSCO CORP. COM 415864107 9,901 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 HEWLETT-PACKARD CO. COM 428236103 10,629 199,989 SH SOLE 199,989 HOSPIRA INC. COM 441060100 12,746 225,000 SH SOLE 225,000 ILLINOIS TOOL WORKS COM 452308109 11,840 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 INTEL CORP. COM 458140100 18,698 840,000 SH SOLE 840,000 JOHNSON & JOHNSON COM 478160104 16,626 255,000 SH SOLE 255,000 JPMORGAN CHASE & CO. COM 46625H100 22,822 510,000 SH SOLE 510,000 LOWE'S COMPANIES, INC COM 548661107 14,544 600,000 SH SOLE 600,000 MASCO CORP. COM 574599106 6,984 450,000 SH SOLE 450,000 MCDONALD'S CORP. COM 580135101 16,680 250,000 SH SOLE 250,000 MDU RESOURCES GROUP, COM 552690109 12,139 562,500 SH SOLE 562,500 MEAD JOHNSON NUTRITION COM CL 582839106 6,107 117,383 SH SOLE 117,383 MEDTRONIC, INC. COM 585055106 15,761 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 MICROSOFT CORP. COM 594918104 34,539 1,180,000 SH SOLE 1,180,000 MORGAN STANLEY COM 617446448 8,787 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 NEWELL RUBBERMAID INC COM 651229106 6,080 400,000 SH SOLE 400,000 NORFOLK SOUTHERN CORP COM 655844108 5,589 100,000 SH SOLE 100,000 NORTHEAST UTILITIES COM 664397106 9,674 350,000 SH SOLE 350,000 ORACLE CORP. COM 68389X105 28,259 1,100,000 SH SOLE 1,100,000 OSHKOSH CORP. COM 688239201 15,329 380,000 SH SOLE 380,000 PEPSICO, INC. COM 713448108 23,818 360,000 SH SOLE 360,000 PETROLEUM & RESOURCES COM 716549100 52,111 2,186,774 SH SOLE 2,186,774 PFIZER INC COM 717081103 17,409 1,015,125 SH SOLE 1,015,125 PNC FINANCIAL SERVICEs COM 693475105 16,119 270,000 SH SOLE 270,000 POTASH CORP SASK INC COM 73755L107 6,445 54,000 SH SOLE 54,000 PRAXAIR, INC. COM 74005P104 9,071 109,292 SH SOLE 109,292 PROCTER & GAMBLE CO. COM 742718109 19,930 315,000 SH SOLE 315,000 PRUDENTIAL FINANCIAL COM 744320102 18,755 310,000 SH SOLE 310,000 QUALCOMM INC. COM 747525103 12,597 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 RYLAND GROUP INC. COM 783764103 7,708 343,500 SH SOLE 343,500 SAFEWAY INC. COM 786514208 9,695 390,000 SH SOLE 390,000 SENOMYX, INC. COM 81724Q107 4,206 1,284,400 SH SOLE 1,284,400 SPECTRA ENERGY CORP. COM 847560109 9,142 405,780 SH SOLE 405,780 SPIRIT AEROSYS HLDG COM CL A 848574109 16,834 720,000 SH SOLE 720,000 STATE STREET CORP. COM 857477103 10,382 230,000 SH SOLE 230,000 T. ROWE PRICE GROUP COM 74144T108 10,437 190,000 SH SOLE 190,000 TARGET CORP. COM 87612E106 16,832 320,000 SH SOLE 320,000 TATA MOTORS LTD. ADR COM 876568502 18,460 1,000,000 SH SOLE 1,000,000 TEVA PHARMACEUTICAL COM 881624209 20,816 330,000 SH SOLE 330,000 TRANSOCEAN LTD. REG SHS H8817H100 13,821 160,000 SH SOLE 160,000 UNILEVER PLC ADR SPON ADR NEW 904767704 21,120 721,300 SH SOLE 721,300 UNITED TECHNOLOGIES COM 913017109 22,083 300,000 SH SOLE 300,000 UNITEDHEALTH GROUP COM 91324P102 4,574 140,000 SH SOLE 140,000 VISA INC. COM CL A 92826C839 8,193 90,000 SH SOLE 90,000 WALT DISNEY CO. COM 254687106 16,757 480,000 SH SOLE 480,000 WELLS FARGO & CO. COM 949746101 13,226 425,000 SH SOLE 425,000 WGL HOLDINGS INC. COM 92924F106 5,690 164,225 SH SOLE 164,225 ZIMMER HOLDINGS, INC. COM 98956P102 8,880 150,000 SH SOLE 150,000 1,063,171