Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
12 August 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
Chase Nominees Limited                                              A/c 13067                     250,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                                                           10,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867815                    665,417
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                                                            6,090
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867396                  1,080,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867530                    355,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867372                  3,089,092
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887553                      8,280
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887565                      6,500
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887577                      7,330
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887589                      7,200
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887590                      6,370
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887607                      5,060
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 887619                      4,040
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 776934                  1,143,614
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867220                     60,000
HSBC Global Custody Nominee (UK) Limited                            A/c 867050                    470,707
Smith & Williamson Nominees Limited                                 A/c S66                        37,173
RBSTB Nominees Designation Sunpen                                                                  56,657
Sun Life International                                              A/c SLI 11                    150,000
Chase Nominees Limited                                              A/c BT01C                      30,000
Axa Sun Life plc                                                                                2,015,217
Axa Equity & Law Nominees Limited                                   A/c AXARE                      23,950
Chase Nominees Limited                                              A/c 13067                     115,000



5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired

-

6) Percentage of issued class

-

7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

216,621

8) Percentage of issued class

0.088%



9) Class of security

Ordinary shares of 10 4/11 p



10) Date of transaction

9 August 2002



11) Date company informed

9 August 2002



12) Total holding following this notification

9,602,697



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

3.911%

14) Any additional information

-



15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries

Caroline L Farbridge

Assistant Company Secretary

Tel: [phone] ext. 2569



16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for

making this notification

Caroline L Farbridge

Date of notification: 9 August 2002








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