<ARTICLE> 6 <PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> DEC-31-1996 <PERIOD-END> JAN-30-1996 <INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 131,297,964 <INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 153,074,424 <RECEIVABLES> 778,942 <ASSETS-OTHER> 77,923 <OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 153,931,289 <PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 0 <SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 63,665,745 <TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 63,665,745 <SENIOR-EQUITY> 4,185 <PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 60,272,486 <SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 4,184,766 <SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 3,138,575 <ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 0 <OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0 <ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 8,212,413 <OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0 <ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 21,776,460 <NET-ASSETS> 90,265,544 <DIVIDEND-INCOME> 244,697 <INTEREST-INCOME> 1,097,467 <OTHER-INCOME> 0 <EXPENSES-NET> 5,473,261 <NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> (4,131,097) <REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 5,629,207 <APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 13,801,192 <NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 15,299,302 <EQUALIZATION> 0 <DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> 0 <DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0 <DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0 <NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 1,046,191 <NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0 <SHARES-REINVESTED> 0 <NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 28,412,255 <ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 0 <ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> 2,583,206 <OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0 <OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0 <GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 4,702,909 <INTEREST-EXPENSE> 439,170 <GROSS-EXPENSE> 5,473,261 <AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 76,059,416 <PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 19.71 <PER-SHARE-NII> (1.20) <PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> 5.63 <PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> 0 <PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0 <RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0 <PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 21.57 <EXPENSE-RATIO> 7.20 <AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 9,256,481 <AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 2.21