Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: Notifications of Major Interests in Shares

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

Provident Financial plc

2. Reason for notification (yes/no)

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

Yes

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 notification obligation:

FIL Limited

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

Bank of New York Brussels

Brown Bros Harrimn Ltd Lux

J P Morgan Bournemouth

Northern Trust London

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

16 January 2009

6. Date on which issuer notified:

20 January 2009

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 use ISIN code

Situation previous to the triggering transaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

Number of shares

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

Direct

Indirect

Direct

Indirect

ISIN GB00B1Z4ST84

6,579,823

6,579,823

6,567,732

6,567,732

4.99%

B: Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financial instrument

Expiration date

Exercise/ conversion period/date 

No. of voting rights that may be acquired (if the instrument exercised/converted)

Percentage of voting rights

Total (A+B)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

6,567,732

4.99%

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

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

Nominee

Shares held

Management Company

Bank of New York Brussels

55,300

FPM

Brown Bros Harrimn Ltd Lux

59,760

FIL

JP Morgan Bournemouth

687,622

FII

JP Morgan Bournemouth

1,750

FIL

J P Morgan Bournemouth

5,624,400

FISL

Northern Trust London

138,900

FPM

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of proxy holder:

FIL Limited

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

12,091

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

16 January 2009

13. Additional information:

14 Contact name:

Emma G Versluys

Deputy Company Secretary

15. Contact telephone number:

01274 731111 ext 2569