Holding(s) in Company

Provident Financial PLC
18 April 2007



TR-1(i): NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES



1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which
voting rights are attached (ii):

Provident Financial plc



2. Reason for the notification (please place an X inside the appropriate bracket
/s):



An acquisition or disposal of voting rights: ( X )



An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments which may result in the
acquisition of shares already issued to which voting rights are attached: (    )



An event changing the breakdown of voting rights: (    )



Other (please specify) : (    )





3. Full name of person(s) subject to the notification obligation (iii):

Fidelity International Limited (FIL)





4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.) (iv):

     State Street Bk and Tr Co Lndon (S

     Northern Trust London

     JP Morgan, Bournemouth

     HSBC Bank PLC

     Brown Bros Harrimn Ltd Lux

     Bank of New York Brussels



5. Date of the transaction (and date on which the threshold is crossed or
reached if different) (v):

16 April 2007



6. Date on which issuer notified:

18 April 2007



7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

5%



8. Notified details:

.................



A: Voting rights attached to shares


Class/type of shares if possible           Situation previous to the Triggering transaction (vi)
using the ISIN CODE
                                  Number of shares                   Number of voting Rights (viii)


ISIN GB0002685963                 13,636,099                         13,636,099

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction (vii)


Class/type of shares if      Number of shares         Number of voting rights (ix)      % of voting rights
possible using the ISIN CODE
                             Direct                   Direct (x)   Indirect (xi)        Direct      Indirect


ISIN GB0002685963                                                  12,433,589                       4.85%



B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction (xii)


Type of         Expiration Date       Exercise/Conversion       Number of voting rights     % of voting rights
financial       (xiii)                Period/ Date (xiv)        that may be acquired if the
instrument                                                      instrument is exercised/
                                                                converted.






Total (A+B)
Number of voting rights        % of voting rights


12,433,589                     4.85%



9. Chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the
financial instruments are effectively held, if applicable (xv):



Fidelity International Limited (FIL) is the parent holding company for various
direct and indirect subsidiaries, including Fidelity Fund Management Limited
(FFML), Fidelity Investment Services Ltd (FISL), Fidelity Gestion (FIGEST),
Fidelity Investments Advisory (Korea) Limited (FIAKL), Fidelity Investments
Management (Hong Kong) Limited (FIMHK), Fidelity Pension Management (FPM),
Fidelity Investments Japan (FIJ) and Fidelity Investments International (FII),
investment managers for various non-US investment companies and institutional
clients.


Nominee                                                                    Shares held  Management Company
State Street Bk and Tr Co Lndon (S                                             122,200  FPM
Northern Trust London                                                          420,900  FPM
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                                                         224,100  FPM
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                                                       7,752,111  FISL
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                                                         393,300  FIL
JP Morgan, Bournemouth                                                         881,936  FII
HSBC Bank PLC                                                                  306,600  FPM
Brown Bros Harrimn Ltd Lux                                                   2,313,742  FIL
Bank of New York Brussels                                                       18,700  FPM





Proxy Voting:



10. Name of the proxy holder:

Fidelity International Limited (FIL)



11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will cease to hold:

1,202,510



12. Date on which proxy holder will cease to hold voting rights:

16 April 2007



13. Additional information:





14. Contact name:

Emma G Versluys

Assistant Company Secretary



15. Contact telephone number:

01274 731111 ext. 2569




                      This information is provided by RNS
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