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001 A000000 PRINCOR UTILITIES FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-07266
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002 A000000 THE PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL GROUP
002 B000000 DES MOINES
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002 D010000 50392
002 D020000 0200
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020 C000002 9
020 A000003 SALOMON BROTHERS
020 B000003 13-3082694
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020 C000004 3
020 A000005 MERRILL LYNCH
020 B000005 13-5674085
020 C000005 3
020 A000006 NATWEST SECURITIES CORP.
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020 A000007 PRINCIPAL FINANCIAL SECURITIES, INC.
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020 A000008 WEEDEN & CO.
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<PAGE> PAGE 2
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SIGNATURE A. S. FILEAN
TITLE VICE PRESIDENT
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> APR-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 65,295,435
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 69,176,317
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<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 176,971
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 176,971
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<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 65,019,372
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 5,447,315
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 5,819,330
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 420,884
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 88,434
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
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<NET-ASSETS> 69,409,572
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1,838,261
<INTEREST-INCOME> 16,617
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (438,099)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 1,416,779
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 1,427,251
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (867,049)
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 1,976,981
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (709,124)
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<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (2,802,986)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 325,361
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (1,338,817)
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<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 11.40
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<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .07
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<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.15
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<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0<F1>
<FN>
<F1>Without the Manager's voluntary waiver of a portion of certain expenses for
this period, this fund would have had per share net investment income of $.23
and a ratio of expenses to average net assets of 1.25%. The amount waived was
$31,568.
</FN>
</TABLE>
WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> APR-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 65,295,435
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 69,176,317
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<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (69,346)
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<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
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<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
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<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 72,744,856
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 11.38
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<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.17)
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<EXPENSE-RATIO> 1.90
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0<F1>
<FN>
<F1>Without the Manager's voluntary waiver of a portion of certain expenses for
this period, this fund would have had per share net investment income of $.18
and a ratio of expenses to average net assets of 1.99%. The amount waived was
$2,673.
</FN>
</TABLE>
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> OCT-31-1997
<PERIOD-END> APR-30-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 65,295,435
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 69,176,317
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<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 65,019,372
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<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 27,440
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 420,884
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> 88,434
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 3,880,882
<NET-ASSETS> 69,409,572
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 1,838,261
<INTEREST-INCOME> 16,617
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (438,099)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 1,416,779
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<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> (867,049)
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<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> (7,110)
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 898
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> (2,802,986)
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 325,361
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (1,338,817)
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<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 216,286
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<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.19)
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<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0<F1>
<FN>
<F1>Without the Manager's voluntary waiver of a portion of certain expenses for
this period, this fund would have had per share net investment income of $.16
and a ratio of expenses to average net assets of 2.51%. The amount waived was
$2,752.
</FN>
</TABLE>
