<PAGE> PAGE 1
000 B000000 08/31/98
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 COMPANY (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 CHASE MANHATTAN BANK N.A.
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 209
019 C000000 MERRILLLYN
020 A000001 BZW SECURITIES INC.
020 C000001 11
020 C000002 0
020 C000003 0
020 C000004 0
020 C000005 0
020 C000006 0
<PAGE> PAGE 3
020 C000007 0
020 C000008 0
020 C000009 0
020 C000010 0
021 000000 11
022 A000001 MORGAN (J.P.) SECURITIES INC.
022 B000001 13-3224016
022 C000001 238350
022 D000001 249163
022 A000002 LEHMAN BROTHERS INC.
022 B000002 13-2518466
022 C000002 188027
022 D000002 206197
022 A000003 GOLDMAN, SACHS & CO.
022 B000003 13-5108880
022 C000003 151276
022 D000003 120545
022 A000004 MORGAN STANLEY & CO. INCORPORATED
022 B000004 13-2655998
022 C000004 122458
022 D000004 124537
022 A000005 SMITH BARNEY INC.
022 B000005 13-1912900
022 C000005 138570
022 D000005 93514
022 A000006 PAINEWEBBER INCORPORATED
022 B000006 13-2638166
022 C000006 104935
022 D000006 98163
022 A000007 BT ALEX. BROWN INCORPORATED
022 B000007 13-3311934
022 C000007 49699
022 D000007 100151
022 A000008 INTERSTATE/JOHNSON LANE CORPORATION
022 B000008 56-0276690
022 C000008 41570
022 D000008 60726
022 A000009 FIRST ALBANY CORPORATION
022 B000009 14-1391446
022 C000009 21850
022 D000009 46916
022 A000010 RAYMOND JAMES & ASSOCIATES, INC.
022 B000010 59-1237041
022 C000010 55549
022 D000010 10265
023 C000000 1384462
023 D000000 1346480
024 000000 N
026 A000000 N
026 B000000 Y
026 C000000 N
<PAGE> PAGE 4
026 D000000 Y
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
<PAGE> PAGE 5
054 N000000 N
055 A000000 N
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 4.6
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 97.4
062 P000000 0.0
062 Q000000 0.0
062 R000000 0.0
063 A000000 0
063 B000000 19.4
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
<PAGE> PAGE 6
070 H010000 N
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 Y
070 Q010000 N
070 Q020000 N
070 R010000 N
070 R020000 N
071 A000000 879646
071 B000000 878895
071 C000000 855227
071 D000000 103
072 A000000 12
072 B000000 51629
072 C000000 0
072 D000000 0
072 E000000 0
072 F000000 4432
072 G000000 112
072 H000000 0
072 I000000 140
072 J000000 58
072 K000000 0
072 L000000 36
072 M000000 26
072 N000000 0
072 O000000 0
072 P000000 0
072 Q000000 0
072 R000000 56
072 S000000 25
072 T000000 0
072 U000000 0
072 V000000 0
072 W000000 771
072 X000000 5656
072 Y000000 0
<PAGE> PAGE 7
072 Z000000 45973
072AA000000 17599
072BB000000 9325
072CC010000 10431
072CC020000 0
072DD010000 45923
072DD020000 0
072EE000000 0
073 A010000 0.5915
073 A020000 0.0000
073 B000000 0.0000
073 C000000 0.0000
074 A000000 0
074 B000000 0
074 C000000 41350
074 D000000 875041
074 E000000 0
074 F000000 0
074 G000000 0
074 H000000 0
074 I000000 0
074 J000000 19977
074 K000000 0
074 L000000 11367
074 M000000 22
074 N000000 947757
074 O000000 48304
074 P000000 354
074 Q000000 0
074 R010000 0
074 R020000 0
074 R030000 0
074 R040000 829
074 S000000 275000
074 T000000 623270
074 U010000 61123
074 U020000 0
074 V010000 10.20
074 V020000 0.00
074 W000000 0.0000
074 X000000 18848
074 Y000000 0
075 A000000 0
075 B000000 888471
076 000000 10.00
077 A000000 Y
077 B000000 Y
077 O000000 Y
077 Q020000 Y
078 000000 N
080 A000000 ICI MUTUAL INSURANCE CO.
<PAGE> PAGE 8
080 C000000 1250
081 A000000 Y
081 B000000 130
082 A000000 N
082 B000000 0
083 A000000 N
083 B000000 0
084 A000000 N
084 B000000 0
085 A000000 Y
085 B000000 N
086 A010000 0
086 A020000 0
086 B010000 0
086 B020000 0
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> 12-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END> AUG-31-1998
<PERIOD-START> SEP-01-1997
<PERIOD-END> AUG-31-1998
<INVESTMENTS-AT-COST> 850752944
<INVESTMENTS-AT-VALUE> 916390708
<RECEIVABLES> 31343801
<ASSETS-OTHER> 22504
<OTHER-ITEMS-ASSETS> 0
<TOTAL-ASSETS> 947757013
<PAYABLE-FOR-SECURITIES> 48304336
<SENIOR-LONG-TERM-DEBT> 0
<OTHER-ITEMS-LIABILITIES> 1182687
<TOTAL-LIABILITIES> 49487023
<SENIOR-EQUITY> 275000000
<PAID-IN-CAPITAL-COMMON> 569641985
<SHARES-COMMON-STOCK> 61123140
<SHARES-COMMON-PRIOR> 61123140
<ACCUMULATED-NII-CURRENT> 6460640
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-NII> 0
<ACCUMULATED-NET-GAINS> (18470399)
<OVERDISTRIBUTION-GAINS> 0
<ACCUM-APPREC-OR-DEPREC> 65637764
<NET-ASSETS> 898269990
<DIVIDEND-INCOME> 0
<INTEREST-INCOME> 51628584
<OTHER-INCOME> 0
<EXPENSES-NET> (5655981)
<NET-INVESTMENT-INCOME> 45972603
<REALIZED-GAINS-CURRENT> 8274227
<APPREC-INCREASE-CURRENT> 10430911
<NET-CHANGE-FROM-OPS> 64677741
<EQUALIZATION> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-INCOME> (45922625)
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OF-GAINS> 0
<DISTRIBUTIONS-OTHER> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-SOLD> 0
<NUMBER-OF-SHARES-REDEEMED> 0
<SHARES-REINVESTED> 0
<NET-CHANGE-IN-ASSETS> 18755116
<ACCUMULATED-NII-PRIOR> 6410662
<ACCUMULATED-GAINS-PRIOR> (26744626)
<OVERDISTRIB-NII-PRIOR> 0
<OVERDIST-NET-GAINS-PRIOR> 0
<GROSS-ADVISORY-FEES> 4431767
<INTEREST-EXPENSE> 0
<GROSS-EXPENSE> 5655981
<AVERAGE-NET-ASSETS> 888471368
<PER-SHARE-NAV-BEGIN> 9.89
<PER-SHARE-NII> .76
<PER-SHARE-GAIN-APPREC> .30
<PER-SHARE-DIVIDEND> (.59)
<PER-SHARE-DISTRIBUTIONS> 0
<RETURNS-OF-CAPITAL> 0
<PER-SHARE-NAV-END> 10.20
<EXPENSE-RATIO> .64
<AVG-DEBT-OUTSTANDING> 0
<AVG-DEBT-PER-SHARE> 0
</TABLE>
