<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 A000000 02/28/97
000 C000000 0000835948
000 D000000 N
000 E000000 NF
000 F000000 Y
000 G000000 N
000 H000000 N
000 I000000 3.0.a
000 J000000 A
001 A000000 MUNIVEST FUND, INC.
001 B000000 811-5611
001 C000000 6092822800
002 A000000 P.O. BOX 9011
002 B000000 PRINCETON
002 C000000 NJ
002 D010000 08543
002 D020000 9011
003 000000 N
004 000000 N
005 000000 N
006 000000 N
007 A000000 N
007 B000000 0
007 C010100 1
007 C010200 2
007 C010300 3
007 C010400 4
007 C010500 5
007 C010600 6
007 C010700 7
007 C010800 8
007 C010900 9
007 C011000 10
008 A000001 FUND ASSET MANAGEMENT, L.P.
008 B000001 A
008 C000001 801-12485
008 D010001 PRINCETON
008 D020001 NJ
008 D030001 08543
008 D040001 9011
011 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
011 B000001 8-7221
011 C010001 NEW YORK
011 C020001 NY
011 C030001 10281
012 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK (COMMON STOCK)
012 B000001 85-05006
012 C010001 NEW YORK
012 C020001 NY
012 C030001 10286
012 A000002 IBJ SCHRODER BANK & TRUST CO. (PREFERRED)
<PAGE> PAGE 2
012 B000002 84-0
012 C010002 NEW YORK
012 C020002 NY
012 C030002 10004
013 A000001 DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
013 B010001 PRINCETON
013 B020001 NJ
013 B030001 08540
014 A000001 MERRILL LYNCH, PIERCE, FENNER & SMITH INC.
014 B000001 8-7221
015 A000001 THE BANK OF NEW YORK
015 B000001 C
015 C010001 NEW YORK
015 C020001 NY
015 C030001 10286
015 E010001 X
015 A000002 BANKERS TRUST COMPANY
015 B000002 S
015 C010002 NEW YORK
015 C020002 NY
015 C030002 10006
015 E010002 X
015 A000003 CHEMICAL BANK
015 B000003 S
015 C010003 NEW YORK
015 C020003 NY
015 C030003 10017
015 E010003 X
015 A000004 CUSTODIAL TRUST CO.
015 B000004 S
015 C010004 NEW YORK
015 C020004 NY
015 C030004 10167
015 E010004 X
015 A000005 MORGAN GUARANTEE TRUST CO.
015 B000005 S
015 C010005 NEW YORK
015 C020005 NY
015 C030005 10260
015 E010005 X
018 000000 Y
019 A000000 Y
019 B000000 189
019 C000000 MERRILLLYN
020 A000001 SMITH BARNEY INC.
020 B000001 13-1912900
020 C000001 13
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
020 C000006 0
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 13
022 A000001 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000001 13-5108880
022 C000001 108176
022 D000001 127216
022 A000002 SMITH BARNEY INC.
022 B000002 13-1912900
022 C000002 101203
022 D000002 63375
022 A000003 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000003 13-3224016
022 C000003 43085
022 D000003 39500
022 A000004 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000004 13-2518466
022 C000004 38987
022 D000004 27483
022 A000005 BT SECURITIES CORPORATION
022 C000005 22633
022 D000005 25329
022 A000006 BEAR, STEARNS & CO. INC.
022 B000006 13-3299429
022 C000006 31042
022 D000006 13689
022 A000007 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
022 B000007 13-2655998
022 C000007 13046
022 D000007 30013
022 A000008 ABN AMRO SECURITIES (USA) INC.
022 C000008 22049
022 D000008 16472
022 A000009 PRUDENTIAL SECURITIES INCORPORATED
022 B000009 22-2347336
022 C000009 6388
022 D000009 19852
022 A000010 DILLON, READ & CO. INC.
022 B000010 13-1939216
022 C000010 12000
022 D000010 13765
023 C000000 454499
023 D000000 451980
024 000000 N
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
026 D000000 Y
<PAGE> PAGE 4
026 E000000 N
026 F000000 N
026 G010000 N
026 G020000 N
026 H000000 N
027 000000 N
045 000000 Y
046 000000 N
047 000000 Y
048 000000 0.500
048 A010000 0
048 A020000 0.000
048 B010000 0
048 B020000 0.000
048 C010000 0
048 C020000 0.000
048 D010000 0
048 D020000 0.000
048 E010000 0
048 E020000 0.000
048 F010000 0
048 F020000 0.000
048 G010000 0
048 G020000 0.000
048 H010000 0
048 H020000 0.000
048 I010000 0
048 I020000 0.000
048 J010000 0
048 J020000 0.000
048 K010000 0
048 K020000 0.000
049 000000 N
050 000000 N
051 000000 N
052 000000 N
053 A000000 N
054 A000000 Y
054 B000000 Y
054 C000000 N
054 D000000 N
054 E000000 N
054 F000000 N
054 G000000 N
054 H000000 Y
054 I000000 N
054 J000000 Y
054 K000000 N
054 L000000 N
054 M000000 Y
054 N000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 5
055 A000000 Y
055 B000000 N
056 000000 Y
057 000000 N
058 A000000 N
059 000000 Y
060 A000000 N
060 B000000 N
061 000000 0
062 A000000 Y
062 B000000 0.0
062 C000000 0.0
062 D000000 0.0
062 E000000 1.7
062 F000000 0.0
062 G000000 0.0
062 H000000 0.0
062 I000000 0.0
062 J000000 0.0
062 K000000 0.0
062 L000000 0.0
062 M000000 0.0
062 N000000 0.0
062 O000000 96.7
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 19.5
064 A000000 Y
064 B000000 N
066 A000000 N
067 000000 N
068 A000000 N
068 B000000 N
069 000000 N
070 A010000 Y
070 A020000 N
070 B010000 N
070 B020000 N
070 C010000 Y
070 C020000 N
070 D010000 N
070 D020000 N
070 E010000 Y
070 E020000 Y
070 F010000 N
070 F020000 N
070 G010000 Y
070 G020000 N
070 H010000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 H020000 N
070 I010000 N
070 I020000 N
070 J010000 Y
070 J020000 N
070 K010000 Y
070 K020000 N
070 L010000 N
070 L020000 N
070 M010000 N
070 M020000 N
070 N010000 N
070 N020000 N
070 O010000 Y
070 O020000 N
070 P010000 Y
070 P020000 N
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 247999
071 B000000 244425
071 C000000 837311
071 D000000 29
072 A000000 6
072 B000000 26553
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 2183
072 G000000 48
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 74
072 J000000 28
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 24
072 M000000 17
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 29
072 S000000 15
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 394
072 X000000 2812
072 Y000000 0
072 Z000000 23741
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072AA000000 4374
072BB000000 1799
072CC010000 15587
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 23930
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.3156
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 57
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 15000
074 D000000 841363
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 12094
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 12500
074 M000000 20
074 N000000 881034
074 O000000 9184
074 P000000 336
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 1001
074 S000000 275000
074 T000000 595513
074 U010000 61123
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 9.74
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 21098
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 865300
076 000000 9.25
077 A000000 Y
077 O000000 Y
078 000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 8
086 C010000 0
086 C020000 0
086 D010000 0
086 D020000 0
086 E010000 0
086 E020000 0
086 F010000 0
086 F020000 0
087 A010000 COMMON STOCK
087 A020000 626295109
087 A030000 MVF
087 B010000 PREFERRED STOCK
088 A000000 N
088 B000000 N
088 C000000 N
088 D000000 Y
SIGNATURE GERALD M. RICHARD
TITLE TREASURER
<TABLE> <S> <C>
<ARTICLE> 6
<CIK> 0000835948
<NAME> MUNIVEST FUND, INC.
<S> <C>
<PERIOD-TYPE> 6-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1997
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1996
<PERIOD-END> FEB-28-1997
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 809363381
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 856363215
<RECEIVABLES> 24594081
<ASSETS-OTHER> 77037
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 881034333
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 9184098
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1336905
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 10521003
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 275000000
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 569641985
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 61123140
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 61123140
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 6315656
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (25143426)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> (2300719)
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 46999834
<NET-ASSETS> 870513330
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 26552815
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (2811802)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 23741013
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 2575199
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 15586510
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 41902722
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (19292297)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> (4637260)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 17973165
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 6527951
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (27742376)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> (2300719)
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 2182908
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 2811802
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 865300027
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.45
<PER-SHARE-NII> .39
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .30
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.32)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 9.74
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .64
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
