Gold funds sparkle now--but for how long?

                                    TOTAL RETURN*

AMERICAN CENTURY GLOBAL GOLD INV.       31.23%
EATON VANCE GREATER INDIA B             30.80
FIDELITY JAPAN SMALL COMPANIES          29.52
U.S. GLOBAL INVESTORS GOLD SHARES       28.65
U.S. GLOBAL INVESTORS WORLD GOLD        28.50
FIDELITY SELECT PRECIOUS METALS & MIN.  28.48
GABELLI GOLD                            27.46
VAN ECK GOLD/RESOURCES A                26.67
MONTEREY OCM GOLD                       25.55
FIDELITY JAPAN                          25.49
WARBURG PINCUS JAPAN SM. CO. COMM.      25.48
DEUTSCHE JAPANESE EQUITY A              25.42
FIDELITY SELECT GOLD                    25.06
EVERGREEN PRECIOUS METALS A             24.65
WARBURG PINCUS JAPAN GROWTH COMM.       24.14
JAPAN                                   23.91
SOGEN GOLD A                            23.16
FRANKLIN BIOTECHNOLOGY DISCOVERY A      22.70
RYDEX PRECIOUS METALS                   21.96
FRANKLIN GOLD A                         21.61
MONTEREY MURPHY NEW WORLD TECHNOLOGY    21.39
NEVIS                                   20.85
LIBERTY-NEWPORT JAPAN OPPORTUNITIES B   20.24
PIONEER GOLD A                          19.90
USAA GOLD                               19.57
STRONG ENTERPRISE                       19.41%
OPPENHEIMER GOLD & SPECIAL MINERALS A   19.39
LEXINGTON GOLDFUND                      19.33
VAN WAGONER EMERGING GROWTH             19.22
SCUDDER GOLD                            19.21
RYDEX BIOTECHNOLOGY INV.                18.98
VAN WAGONER MICRO-CAP                   18.95
MSDW PRECIOUS METALS & MINS. B          18.72
HOMESTATE YEAR 2000                     18.57
T. ROWE PRICE INTERNATIONAL DISCOVERY   18.50
BENDER GROWTH C                         18.37
NORTHSTAR SPECIAL B                     18.30
GOLDMAN SACHS JAPANESE EQUITY A         18.10
INVESCO GOLD                            17.74
OPPENHEIMER REAL ASSET A                17.47
RED OAK TECHNOLOGY SELECT               17.36
WRIGHT EQUIFUND-JAPAN                   17.11
AXP PRECIOUS METALS A                   17.03
BLACKROCK MICRO-CAP EQUITY INV. B       16.95
VANGUARD GOLD & PRECIOUS METALS         16.92
VAN ECK INTL. INVESTORS GOLD A          16.79
FIDELITY PACIFIC BASIN                  16.49
T. ROWE PRICE JAPAN                     16.38
RESERVE SMALL-CAP GROWTH R              16.21
DRESDNER RCM GLOBAL TECHNOLOGY I        16.11

*Appreciation plus reinvestment of dividends and capital gains before taxes, 
July 1 through Sept. 27, 1999

DATA: MORNINGSTAR, INC.