Purchase of Own Sec's-Amendmt

Provident Financial PLC
16 March 2000

The issuer has made the following amendment to the 'Purchase of Own Securities'
announcement released today at 17.32 under RNS No 4452H.

The date for the purchase of 215,000 shares should read '16 March 2000' and not
15 March 2000 as previously stated. 

All other details remain unchanged.

The full corrected version is shown below.
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                           Provident Financial plc                            
                                                                              
                               Share Repurchase                               

Provident Financial plc (the 'Company') announces that, pursuant to the
authority conferred at the Annual General Meeting on 29 April 1999, on 16
March 2000 it purchased 215,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of
520p per share through Merrill Lynch. This purchase represents approximately
0.085% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital and brings the aggregate
number of shares purchased by the Company since 26 October 1999 to 14,625,989.

Enquiries to:
Mrs R J Marshall Smith
Assistant Company Secretary
Tel: [phone]