Purchase of Own Securities

Provident Financial PLC
14 March 2000


                               Share Repurchase                              

Provident Financial plc (the 'Company') announces that, pursuant to the
authority conferred at the Annual General Meeting on 29 April 1999, on 14
March 2000 it purchased 25,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of
515p per share through Merrill Lynch. This purchase represents approximately
0.010% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital and brings the aggregate
number of shares purchased by the Company since 26 October 1999 to 13,544,189.

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