Purchase of Own Securities

Provident Financial PLC
9 March 2000


                           Provident Financial plc                            

                               Share Repurchase                               

Provident Financial plc (the 'Company') announces that, pursuant to the
authority conferred at the Annual General Meeting on 29 April 1999, on 9 March
2000 it purchased 481,000 ordinary shares for cancellation at a price of
519.79p per share through Merrill Lynch. This purchase represents
approximately 0.19% of the Company's issued ordinary share capital and brings
the aggregate number of shares purchased by the Company since 26 October 1999
to 12,319,189.

Enquiries to:
Mrs R J Marshall Smith
Assistant Company Secretary
Tel: [phone]