UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             Washington, D.C. 20549
                                  SCHEDULE 13G
                    Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                               (Amendment No. 8)*

                       Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.
                                (Name of Issuer)

                                  Common Stock
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    743868101
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                                December 31, 2005
             (Date of Event Which Requires Filing of this Statement)

Check the  appropriate box to designate the rule pursuant to which this Schedule
is filed:

[X]    Rule 13d-1(b)

[   ]  Rule 13d-1(c)

[   ]  Rule 13d-1(d)

*The  remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting  person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any  subsequent  amendment  containing  information  which  would  alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the  Securities  Exchange  Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise  subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but  shall be  subject  to all other  provisions  of the Act  (however,  see the
Notes).






CUSIP No. 743868101
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       1. Names of Reporting Persons.
          I.R.S. Identification Nos. of above persons (entities only).

          First Financial Fund, Inc.
          13-3341573
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       2. Check the Appropriate Box if a Member of a Group (See Instructions)
          (a)
          (b)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       3. SEC Use Only

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       4. Citizenship or Place of Organization          Maryland

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of
Shares
Beneficially
Owned by
Each Reporting
Person With
                            5. Sole Voting Power:         226,425

                            6. Shared Voting Power:       0

                            7. Sole Dispositive Power:    0

                            8. Shared Dispositive Power:  226,425
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       9. Aggregate Amount Beneficially Owned by Each Reporting Person.
          226,425
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       10. Check if the Aggregate Amount in Row (9) Excludes Certain Shares (See
Instructions)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       11. Percent of Class Represented by Amount in Row (9)        3.27%

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
       12. Type of Reporting Person (See Instructions) IV






                                  SCHEUDLE 13G
Item 1.
             (a)       NAME OF ISSUER: Provident Financial Holdings, Inc.

                       ADDRESS OF ISSUER'S PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICES:
             (b)       3756 Central Avenue
                       Riverside, California  92506

Item 2.
             (a) NAME OF PERSON FILING: First Financial Fund, Inc.

                 ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL BUSINESS OFFICE OR, IF NONE, RESIDENCE:
             (b) 1680 38th Street, Suite 800 Boulder, Colorado 80301

             (c) CITIZENSHIP: Maryland

             (d) TITLE OF CLASS OF SECURITIES: Common Stock

             (e) CUSIP NUMBER: 320228109

Item 3.      Type of Person Filing Pursuant to ss.ss.240.13d-1(b) or
             240.13d-2(b) or (c):

                 Investment company registered under section 8 of the
                 Investment Company Act of 1940 (15 U.S.C 80a-8).

Item 4.      Ownership.

             (a)       AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED: First Financial Fund, Inc., a
                       registered closed-end investment company, may be deemed
                       the beneficial owner of 226,425 shares of common stock of
                       the Issuer.

             (b)       PERCENT OF CLASS: 3.27%

                       VOTING AND DISPOSITIVE POWER: First Financial Fund, Inc.
                       has the sole power to vote or to direct the vote and
             (c)       shared power  to  dispose  or to  direct  the
                       disposition  of 226,425 shares of common stock of the
                       Issuer. First Financial  Fund,  Inc.  has shared  power
                       to vote or to direct  the vote and sole power to dispose
                       or to direct the  disposition  of 0 shares  of  common
                       stock of the Issuer.


Item 5.      Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class

If this  statement  is being filed to report the fact that as of the date hereof
the  reporting  person has ceased to be the  beneficial  owner of more than five
percent of the class of securities, check the following [X].

Item 6.     Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.

Not applicable.

Item 7.     Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired
            the Security Being Reported on By the
            Parent Holding Company or Control Person.

Not applicable.

Item 8.     Identification and Classification of Members of the Group

Not applicable.

Item 9.     Notice of Dissolution of Group

Not applicable.

Item 10.    Certification

          By  signing  below I certify  that,  to the best of my  knowledge  and
          belief, the securities referred to above were acquired and are held in
          the ordinary course of business and were not acquired and are not held
          for the purpose of or with the effect of changing or  influencing  the
          control of the issuer of the  securities and were not acquired and are
          not held in  connection  with or as a participant  in any  transaction
          having that purpose or effect.

                                    SIGNATURE

     After  reasonable  inquiry and to the best of my  knowledge  and belief,  I
certify that the information  set forth in this statement is true,  complete and
correct.

Dated:  February 10, 2006


FIRST FINANCIAL FUND, INC.
By: /s/ Stephen C. Miller

Name:    Stephen C. Miller
Title:   President