Holding(s) in Company

TR-1: NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTEREST IN SHARESi

1. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuerof existing shares to which voting rights areattached: ii

COUNTRYWIDE PLC

2 Reason for the notification (please tick the appropriate box or boxes):

An acquisition or disposal of voting rights

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

X

An acquisition or disposal of instruments with similar economic effect to qualifying financial instruments

X

An event changing the breakdown of voting rights

Other (please specify):

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

The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.

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

Goldman Sachs International

Goldman, Sachs & Co.

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P.

Goldman Sachs Bank USA

5. Date of the transaction and date onwhich the threshold is crossed orreached: v

27 November 2015

6. Date on which issuer notified:

06 January 2016

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed orreached: vi, vii

Above 3%

8. Notified details:

A: Voting rights attached to shares viii, ix

Class/type ofshares

if possible usingthe ISIN CODE

Situation previousto the triggeringtransaction

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

NumberofShares

NumberofVotingRights

Numberof shares

Number of votingrights

% of voting rights x

Direct

Direct xi

Indirect xii

Direct

Indirect

GB00B9NWP991

Below 3%

Below 3%

195,800

0.089%

B: Qualifying Financial Instruments

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Expirationdate xiii

Exercise/Conversion Period xiv

Number of votingrights that may beacquired if theinstrument isexercised/ converted.

% of votingrights

Stock Loan (Physical)

Open

6,613,111

3.011%

C: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect to Qualifying Financial Instruments xv, xvi

Resulting situation after the triggering transaction

Type of financialinstrument

Exercise price

Expiration date xvii

Exercise/Conversion period xviii

Number of voting rights instrument refers to

% of voting rights xix, xx

OTC Option (Cash)

11-Mar-2016

87,896

Nominal

Delta

0.040%

Total (A+B+C)

Number of voting rights

Percentage of voting rights

6,896,807

3.140%

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

-----------------The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.; 6,896,807 shares; 3.140%

Goldman Sachs (UK) L.L.C. (Controlled by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.); 6,598,728 shares; 3.005%

Goldman Sachs Group UK Limited (Controlled by Goldman Sachs (UK) L.L.C.); 6,598,728 shares; 3.005%

Goldman Sachs International (Controlled by Goldman Sachs Group UK Limited); 6,598,728 shares; 3.005%

The Goldman, Sachs & Co. L.L.C. (Controlled by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.)

Goldman, Sachs & Co. (Controlled by The Goldman, Sachs & Co. L.L.C.)

Goldman Sachs Asset Management, L.P. (Controlled by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.)

Goldman Sachs Bank USA (Controlled by The Goldman Sachs Group, Inc.)

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of the proxy holder:

N/A

11. Number of voting rights proxy holder will ceaseto hold:

N/A

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

N/A

13. Additional information:

Please note, total amount of voting rights have been rounded to 2 decimal places therefore there is a possibility of a rounding error.

General email contact:

[email protected]

14. Contact name:

Peter Chisholm

15. Contact telephone number:

+44 207 051 9612