Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
8 February 2002

DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS



NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES



1) Name of company

Provident Financial plc



2) Name of shareholder having a major interest

AXA Investment Managers UK Limited



3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of

holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a

non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is

holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

Notification in respect of shareholders named in 2 above.



4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the

number of shares held by each of them



HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867815 689,150 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867396 1,013,333 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867530 285,000 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867372 2,955,759 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887553 3,813 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887565 4,040 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887577 4,400 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887589 4,400 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887590 4,040 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887607 4,040 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 887619 4,040 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 776934 1,217,447 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867220 60,000 shares

HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited a/c 867050 470,707 shares

Smith & Williamson Nominees Limited a/c S66 42,273 shares

RBSTB nominees designation Sunpen 55,768 shares

Sun Life International a/c SLI11 150,000 shares

Chase Nominees Limited a/c BTO1C 30,000 shares

Axa Sun Life plc 2,501,108 shares

Axa Equity & Law Nominees Limited a/c AXARE 20,000 shares

Chase Nominees Limited a/c 13067 185,000 shares

Chase Nominees Limited a/c 13067 115,000 shares



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

100,000



6) Percentage of issued class

0.041%



7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

3,462



8) Percentage of issued class

0.001%



9) Class of security

Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p





10) Date of transaction

4 February 2002



11) Date company informed

8 February 2002



12) Total holding following this notification

9,819,318



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

4.001%



14) Any additional information

-



15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Mrs C L Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary

Tel: [phone] extension 2569



16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for

making this notification

Mrs C L Farbridge



Date of notification 8 February 2002







                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange