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:

Invesco Limited

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

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

21 January 2009

6. Date on which issuer notified:

22 January 2009

7. Threshold(s) that is/are crossed or reached:

4% to 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

Ordinary shares 

of 20 8/11p

ISIN:

GB00B1Z4ST84

6,531,319

6,531,319

6,637,053

6,637,053

5.04%

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

6,637,053

5.04%

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

ABN Amro Bank

222,601

Bank of Ireland Dublin

432,166

Bank of New York

109,558

Banque Paribas

55,911

Banque Paribas (Frankfurt)

94,522

Bank of New York (Brussels)

33,999

Credit Agricole Indosuez (Luxembourg)

127,353

Citibank (Hong Kong)

107,300

JP Morgan Chase

1,084,951

Chase (Frankfurt)

28,902

Citibank New York

4,791

Citibank

3,641,222

Credit Agricole Indosuez

87,156

Deutsche Bank

5,236

Erste Bank (Vienna)

12,429

Japan Trustee Services Bank

1,785

KAS Bank, Amsterdam

19,393

Morgan Stanley London

19,029

State Street London

44,315

Trust & Custody Services JP

14,135

Northern Trust Company London

436,312

UBS (Zurich)

46,899

Vorarlberger Landes-Und Hypothekenbk Akti

1,986

WGZ Bank

1,457

PowerShares Capital Management

3,645

Proxy Voting:

10. Name of proxy holder:

n/a

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

n/a

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

n/a

13. Additional information:

14 Contact name:

Emma G Versluys

Deputy Company Secretary

15. Contact telephone number:

01274 731111 ext 2569