PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND INC
NSAR-B, 1997-02-26
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SIGNATURE   GRACE TORRES                                 
TITLE       TREASURER           
 


<TABLE> <S> <C>











<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000278187
<NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 001
   <NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND (CLASS A)
       
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<TABLE> <S> <C>











<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000278187
<NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 002
   <NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND (CLASS B)
       
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<TABLE> <S> <C>











<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000278187
<NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 003
   <NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND (CLASS C)
       
<S>                             <C>
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WARNING: THE EDGAR SYSTEM ENCOUNTERED ERROR(S) WHILE PROCESSING THIS SCHEDULE.

<TABLE> <S> <C>











<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000278187
<NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND
<SERIES>
   <NUMBER> 004
   <NAME> PRUDENTIAL HIGH YIELD FUND (CLASS Z)
       
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<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR>                      3,971,195
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR>                 (717,970,324)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR>                              0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR>                           0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES>                       16,817,042
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                   0
<GROSS-EXPENSE>                             45,466,978
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS>                        28,978,000
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN>                             8.34
<PER-SHARE-NII>                                   0.63
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC>                           0.07
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND>                             (0.63)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS>                        (0.02)
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL>                              0.00
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END>                               8.39
<EXPENSE-RATIO>                                   0.57
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING>                            0.00
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE>                              0.00
        


</TABLE>

For the fiscal year ended (a) December 31, 1996
File number: 811-2896

                          SUB-ITEM 77C
      Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders


     A Special Meeting of Shareholders was held on
October   30,   1996.    At   such   meeting   the
shareholders approved the following proposals:


     a)   Approval  of the election of  Edward  D.
          Beach,  Eugene  C.  Dorsey,  Delayne  D.
          Gold,  Robert F. Gunia, Harry A. Jacobs,
          Jr., Donald D. Lennox, Mendal A. Melzer,
          Thomas  T.  Mooney, Thomas  H.  O'Brien,
          Richard  A.  Redeker, Nancy H.  Teeters,
          and  Louis A. Weil as Directors  of  the
          Fund  each  to  hold  office  until  the
          earlier to occur of (i) the next meeting
          of  Shareholders at which Directors  are
          elected  and until his or her  successor
          shall  have been duly elected and  shall
          have   qualified  or  (ii)  their  terms
          expire  in  accordance with  the  Fund's
          retirement policy.

     b)   Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
          fundamental    investment    restriction
          regarding investment in shares of  other
          investment  companies which would  allow
          the  Fund  to invest up to  10%  of  its
          total   assets   in  shares   of   other
          companies.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          189,468,143                    9,984,009
11,839,467

     c)   Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
          fundamental    investment    restriction
          regarding unseasoned issuers which would
          prohibit  the  Fund from purchasing  any
          security  if as a result the Fund  would
          have  more  than 5% of its total  assets
          invested in securities of companies less
          than three years old.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          184,480,788                   14,137,805
12,673,026

     d)   Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
          investment restriction to eliminate  the
          prohibition  on investing  in  non-fixed
          income equity securities.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          186,476,592                   12,189,641
12,625,386



     e)   Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
          investment  restriction  regarding   the
          making  of  loans which would limit  the
          Fund's  purchase of loan  participations
          to 5% of the Fund's total assets.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          184,265,196                   14,334,424
12,691,999

     f)   Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
          investment  restriction  to  permit  the
          Fund   to  use  futures  contracts   and
          options thereon.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          183,176,258                   15,169,860
12,945,501

     g)   Approval of the selection of independent
          accountants  for  the  Fund  conditioned
          upon the right by vote of a majority  of
          such Fund's outstanding voting shares at
          any  meeting called for the  purpose  to
          terminate   such  employment   forthwith
          without penalties.

          Affirmative               Negative
          votes   cast                votes   cast
Abstain
          238,506,869                    2,323,623
9,816,003


For the period ended (a) 12/31/96
File number (c) 811-2896

                         SUB-ITEM 77 D

          Policies   with  Respect   to   Security
Investments

     On  October  30, 1996 the Fund's shareholders
approved  the  following  changes  to  the  Fund's
investment policies:

          Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
     fundamental investment restriction  regarding
     investment  in  shares  of  other  investment
     companies  which  would  allow  the  Fund  to
     invest  up  to  10% of its  total  assets  in
     shares of other  companies.

          Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
     fundamental investment restriction  regarding
     unseasoned  issuers which would prohibit  the
     Fund  from purchasing any security  if  as  a
     result  the Fund would have more than  5%  of
     its  total  assets invested in securities  of
     companies less than three years old.

          Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
     investment   restriction  to  eliminate   the
     prohibition on investing in non-fixed  income
     equity securities.

          Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
     investment  restriction regarding the  making
     of   loans  which  would  limit  the   Fund's
     purchase of loan participations to 5% of  the
     Fund's total assets.

          Approval  of an amendment of the  Fund's
     investment restriction to permit the Fund  to
     use futures contracts and options thereon.

     




























February 25, 1997

To the Board of Directors of
Prudential High Yield Fund, Inc.


In planning and performing our audit of the
financial statements of Prudential High Yield
Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") for the year ended
December 31, 1996, we considered its internal
control structure, including procedures for
safeguarding securities, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purposes of expressing
our opinion on the financial statements and to
comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR, and
not to provide assurance on the internal control
structure.

The management of the Fund is responsible for
establishing and maintaining an internal control
structure.  In fulfilling this responsibility,
estimates and judgments by management are required
to assess the expected benefits and related costs
of internal control structure policies and
procedures.  Two of the objectives of an internal
control structure are to provide management with
reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that
assets are appropriately safeguarded against loss
from unauthorized use or disposition and that
transactions are executed in accordance with
management's authorization and recorded properly
to permit preparation of financial statements in
conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.

Because of inherent limitations in any internal
control structure, errors or irregularities may
occur and may not be detected.  Also, projection
of any evaluation of the structure to future
periods is subject to the risk that it may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or
that the effectiveness of the design and operation
may deteriorate.

Our consideration of the internal control
structure would not necessarily disclose all
matters in the internal control structure that
might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants.  A material weakness is a
condition in which the design or operation of the
specific internal control structure elements does
not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that
errors or irregularities in amounts that would be
material in relation to the financial statements
being audited may occur and not be detected within
a timely period by employees in the normal course
of performing their assigned functions.  However,
we noted no matters involving the internal control
structure, including procedures for safeguarding
securities, that we consider to be material
weaknesses as defined above as of December 31,
1996.

This report is intended solely for the information
and use of management and the Securities and
Exchange Commission.



PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP




For the fiscal period ended (a) December 31, 1996
File number (c) 811-4710

                        SUB-ITEM 77J
                              

Reclassification of Capital Accounts

The Fund accounts for and reports distributions to
shareholders   in  accordance   with   the   AICPA
Statement   of   Position   93-2:   Determination,
Disclosure and Financial Statement Presentation of
Income,   Capital  Gain,  and  Return  of  Capital
Distributions by Investment Companies. The  effect
of   applying  this  statement  was  to   decrease
distributions  in excess of net investment  income
by  $11,104,473, increase accumulated net realized
loss  on  investments  by $5, 406,601and  decrease
paid-in  capital in excess of par  by  $5,697,782.
This  was  primarily resulting from: (i) sales  of
securities  purchased with market  discounts  and,
(ii) an overdistribution of taxable income for the
year  ended  December  31, 1996.   Net  investment
income, net realized gains and net assets were not
affected by this change.





























For the fiscal year ended (a) December 31, 1996
File number (c) 811-2896

                         SUB-ITEM 77-0

                           EXHIBITS

          Transactions Effected Pursuant  to  Rule
10f-3


1.   Name of Issuer
       ARCH Comm Group

2.   Date of Purchase
       3/7/96

3.   Number of Securities Purchased
       85,000

4.   Dollar Amount of Purchase
      $5,001,315
     
5.   Price Per Unit
      58.839

6.   Name(s) of Underwriter(s) or Dealer(s)
     From whom Purchased
      Prudential Securities Incorporated

7.   Other Members of the Underwriting Syndicate
     

EXHIBIT A

UNDERWRITER
Goldman, Sachs & Co.
Lehman Brothers
Toronto Dominion Securities (USA) Inc.


For the fiscal year ended (a) December 31, 1996
File number (c) 811-2896

                         SUB-ITEM 77-0

                           EXHIBITS

          Transactions Effected Pursuant  to  Rule
10f-3


1.   Name of Issuer
       Iron Mountain Inc.

2.   Date of Purchase
       9/26/96

3.   Number of Securities Purchased
       24,000

4.   Dollar Amount of Purchase
      $2,400,000
     
5.   Price Per Unit
      $100.00

6.   Name(s) of Underwriter(s) or Dealer(s)
     From whom Purchased
      Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette

7.   Other Members of the Underwriting Syndicate
       See Exhibit A



EXHIBIT A

UNDERWRITER
Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc.
Prudential Securities Incorporated




For the fiscal year ended (a) December 31, 1996
File number (c) 811-2896

                         SUB-ITEM 77-0

                           EXHIBITS

          Transactions Effected Pursuant  to  Rule
10f-3


1.   Name of Issuer
       Costilla Energy

2.   Date of Purchase
       10/3/96

3.   Number of Securities Purchased
       33,000

4.   Dollar Amount of Purchase
      $3,300,000
     
5.   Price Per Unit
      $100.00

6.   Name(s) of Underwriter(s) or Dealer(s)
     From whom Purchased
      Nations Bank

7.   Other Members of the Underwriting Syndicate
       See Exhibit A



EXHIBIT A

UNDERWRITER
Prudential Securities Incorporated
















February 25, 1997

To the Board of Directors of
Prudential High Yield Fund, Inc.


In planning and performing our audit of the
financial statements of Prudential High Yield
Fund, Inc. (the "Fund") for the year ended
December 31, 1996, we considered its internal
control structure, including procedures for
safeguarding securities, in order to determine our
auditing procedures for the purposes of expressing
our opinion on the financial statements and to
comply with the requirements of Form N-SAR, and
not to provide assurance on the internal control
structure.

The management of the Fund is responsible for
establishing and maintaining an internal control
structure.  In fulfilling this responsibility,
estimates and judgments by management are required
to assess the expected benefits and related costs
of internal control structure policies and
procedures.  Two of the objectives of an internal
control structure are to provide management with
reasonable, but not absolute, assurance that
assets are appropriately safeguarded against loss
from unauthorized use or disposition and that
transactions are executed in accordance with
management's authorization and recorded properly
to permit preparation of financial statements in
conformity with generally accepted accounting
principles.

Because of inherent limitations in any internal
control structure, errors or irregularities may
occur and may not be detected.  Also, projection
of any evaluation of the structure to future
periods is subject to the risk that it may become
inadequate because of changes in conditions or
that the effectiveness of the design and operation
may deteriorate.

Our consideration of the internal control
structure would not necessarily disclose all
matters in the internal control structure that
might be material weaknesses under standards
established by the American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants.  A material weakness is a
condition in which the design or operation of the
specific internal control structure elements does
not reduce to a relatively low level the risk that
errors or irregularities in amounts that would be
material in relation to the financial statements
being audited may occur and not be detected within
a timely period by employees in the normal course
of performing their assigned functions.  However,
we noted no matters involving the internal control
structure, including procedures for safeguarding
securities, that we consider to be material
weaknesses as defined above as of December 31,
1996.

This report is intended solely for the information
and use of management and the Securities and
Exchange Commission.



PRICE WATERHOUSE LLP





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