U.S. SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 24F-2
Annual Notice of Securities Sold
Pursuant to Rule 24f-2
1. Name and address of Issuer:
Merrill Lynch Focus Value Fund, Inc. (formerly known as Merrill Lynch
Phoenix Fund, Inc.)
P.O. Box 9011
Princeton, N.J. 08543-9011
2. Name of each series or class of securities for which this Form is filed
(if the Form is being filed for all series and classes of securities of
the issuer, check the box but do not list series or classes): [X]
3. Investment Company Act File Number: 811-3450
Securities Act File Number: 002-77068
4. (a) Last day of fiscal year for which this Form is filed: July 31, 2000
(b) [ ] Check box if this Form is being filed late (i.e., more than 90
calendar days after the end of the issuer's fiscal year).
(c) [ ] Check box if this is the last time the issuer will be filing this
Form.
5. Calculation of registration fees:
(i) Aggregate sales price of securities sold during
the fiscal year pursuant to Section 24(f): $133,575,598
(ii) Aggregate price of securities redeemed or
repurchased during the fiscal year: $172,739,273
(iii) Aggregate price of securities redeemed or
repurchased during any prior fiscal year
ending no earlier than October 31, 1995,
that were not previously used to reduce
registration fees payable to the Commission: $273,409,151
(iv) Total available redemption credits [add Items 5(ii)
and 5(iii)]: $446,148,424
(v) Net sales - if Item 5(i) is greater than Item 5(iv)
[subtract Item 5(iv) from Item
5(i)]: $0
(vi) Redemption credits available for use in future
years - if Item 5(i) is less than Item 5(iv): $312,572,826
(vii) Multiplier for determining registration fee
(see instruction C.9): .000264
(viii) Registration fee due [multiply Item 5(v)
by Item 5(vii) (enter "0" if no fee is due)]: $0
6. Prepaid Shares
If the response to Item 5(i) was determined by deducting an amount of
securities that were registered under the Securities Act of 1933 pursuant
to Rule 24e-2 as in effect before October 11, 1997, then report the
amount of securities (number of shares or other units) deducted here: 0
If there is a number of shares or other units that were registered
pursuant to Rule 24e-2 remaining unsold at the end of the fiscal year for
which this Form is filed that are available for use by the issuer in
future fiscal years, then state that number here: 0
7. Interest due - if this Form is being filed more than 90 days after the
end of the issuer's fiscal year (see instruction D): $0
8. Total of the amount of the registration fee due plus any interest due
[line 5(viii) plus line 7]: $0
9. Date the registration fee and any interest payment was sent to the
Commission's lockbox depository:
Method of Delivery:
[ ] Wire Transfer
[ ] Mail or other means
SIGNATURES
This report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the
issuer and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:
By:
/s/ Allan J. Oster
---------------------------
Secretary
Date: October 23, 2000
