Purchase of Own Securities

Provident Financial PLC
8 March 2000

                                                                              
                           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 8 March
2000 it purchased 1,000,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of
517p per share through Merrill Lynch. This purchase represents approximately
0.388% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital and brings the aggregate
number of shares purchased by the Company since 26 October 1999 to 11,838,189.

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