Additional Listing

Provident Financial PLC
9 January 2001

                         

                    PROVIDENT FINANCIAL PLC
                               
The Company announces that it allotted 637,887 ordinary shares
to Provident Financial Trustees Limited, trustee of the
Provident Financial Qualifying Employee Share Ownership Trust
('the Quest') on 19 December 2000.

These shares have been allotted at 964.5p per share and rank
pari passu in all respects with the ordinary shares of the
Company already in issue.

Application has been made to the London Stock Exchange and the
UK Listing Authority for the listing of these shares which is
expected to be granted on 10 January 2001.