Holding(s) in Company

Ashtead Group plc

17th August 2006

                               ASHTEAD GROUP PLC                               

                            Ordinary Shares of 10p                             

Ashtead Group plc announces it has been advised by UBS AG that as at 15th
August 2006, acting through its business group and legal entities detailed
below, it was interested in a total of 12,273,111 (or 3.02%) of its shares
comprising:

UBS Global Asset Management Life Limited        602,572          
                                                                 
UBS AG (Switzerland)                         11,670,539