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Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13D
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 5)
INFORMATION TO BE INCLUDED IN STATEMENTS FILED PURSUANT TO
RULE 13d-1(a) AND AMENDMENTS THERETO FILED PURSUANT TO RULE 13d-2(a)
The France Growth Fund, Inc.
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(Name of Issuer)
Common Stock, par value $.01 per share
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(Title of Class of Securities)
35177K108
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(CUSIP Number)
Moritz A. Sell
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
Alexanderplatz 2
D-10178 Berlin
Germany
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(Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)
January 12, 2000
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(Date of Event which Requires
Filing of this Statement)
If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition that is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(e), 13d-1(f) or 13d-1(g), check the following
box. [ ]
Page 1 of 5 Pages
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CUSIP No.: 35177K108 13D Page 2 of 5 Pages
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1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. OR I.R.S. ID NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG
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2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF (a)[ ]
A GROUP (b)[ ]
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3 SEC USE ONLY
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4 SOURCE OF FUNDS WC
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5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL [ ]
PROCEEDINGS IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEM
2(d) OR 2(e)
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6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
Federal Republic of Germany
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SOLE VOTING POWER 2,404,000
NUMBER
OF -------------------------------------------------------
SHARES SHARED VOTING POWER 0
BENEFICIALLY
OWNED -------------------------------------------------------
BY EACH SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER 2,404,000
REPORTING
PERSON -------------------------------------------------------
WITH SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 0
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11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY 2,404,000
OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
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12 CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW [ ]
(11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES
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13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 15.67%
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14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON BK
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Page 2 of 5 Pages
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This Amendment No. 5 amends and supplements Items 3 and 5 of the
Schedule 13D of Bankgesellschaft Berlin AG (the "Bank") with respect to the
shares of Common Stock, par value $.01 per share (the "Common Stock"), of The
France Growth Fund, Inc. (the "Fund").
ITEM 3. SOURCE AND AMOUNT OF FUNDS OR OTHER CONSIDERATION
The source of the funds used by the Bank to purchase the 2,404,000
shares of Common Stock listed in Item 5(a) was working capital. The amount of
the funds used to purchase such shares aggregated approximately $32,208,214
(exclusive of commissions).
ITEM 5. INTEREST IN SECURITIES OF THE ISSUER
(a) The Fund's proxy statement, dated March 11, 1999, relating to the
1998 Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Fund to be held on April 29, 1999
states that, as of February 9, 1999, there were 15,345,333 shares of Common
Stock outstanding. The percentage set forth in this Item 5(a) was derived using
such number.
The Bank is the beneficial owner of 2,404,000 shares of Common Stock,
which constitute approximately 15.67% of the outstanding shares of Common Stock.
(b) The Bank has sole power to vote and to dispose of the shares of
Common Stock owned by it.
(c) During the last sixty days, the Bank has effected the following
purchases in the shares of Common Stock, all of which were made on the New York
Stock Exchange:
Date Number of Shares Purchased Price Per Share
---- -------------------------- ---------------
November 15, 1999 50,000 14.5000
November 16, 1999 51,200 14.5625
December 7,1999 10,000 15.5625
December 17, 1999 20,100 15.7503
January 7, 2000 20,000 14.6250
January 12, 2000 5,000 14.6250
January 13, 2000 3,000 14.8750
January 20, 2000 49,300 14.6788
January 21, 2000 2,500 14.8750
(d) No person other than the Bank has the right to receive or the power
to direct the receipt of dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of, the
shares of Common Stock owned by the Bank.
Page 3 of 5 Pages
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(e) It is inapplicable to state the date on which the Bank ceased to be
the beneficial owner of more than five percent of the Common Stock.
Page 4 of 5 Pages
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SIGNATURE
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of our knowledge and belief,
we certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete
and correct.
Date: January 21, 2000 BANKGESELLSCHAFT BERLIN AG
By: /s/ Gregory L. Melville
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Name: Gregory L. Melville
Title: Assistant Director
By: /s/ Moritz Sell
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Name: Moritz Sell
Title: Market Strategist
Page 5 of 5 Pages
