Holding in Company

Provident Financial PLC
16 February 2001

                                 SCHEDULE 10

                  NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR INTERESTS IN SHARES

1) Name of company

Provident Financial plc



2) Name of shareholder having a major interest


Prudential plc


3) Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of
holding of the shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a
non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

Notification in respect of the holding of the shareholder named in 2 above.


4) Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the
number of shares held by each of them
Registered Holder                                          Holding
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PAC AC                             11,132,964
PRUCLT HSBC GIS NOM(UK) PPL AC                             1,251,082
ROY NOMINEES 578079                                        147,500
ROY NOMINEES LTD 578052                                    52,000
ROY NOMINEES LTD 578192                                    903,100
THE CRISIS INVESTMENT RACE                                 596





5) Number of shares/amount of stock acquired
-


6) Percentage of issued class
-


7) Number of shares/amount of stock disposed
-


8) Percentage of issued class
-


9) Class of security
Ordinary shares of 10 4/11p


10) Date of transaction
Not disclosed


11) Date company informed
16 February 2001


12) Total holding following this notification
13,487,242



13) Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification
5.41%


14) Any additional information


15) Name of contact and telephone number for queries
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Tel: [phone] extension 2356


16) Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for
making this notification
Mrs R J Marshall Smith

Company Secretary


Date of notification 16 February 2001