UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K
ý Annual Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 20172018
¨ Transition Report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission File Number: 000-50058

PRA Group, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware   75-3078675
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
     
120 Corporate Boulevard, Norfolk, Virginia 23502 (888) 772-7326
(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code) (Registrant's Telephone No., including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Common Stock, $0.01 par value per share NASDAQ Global Select Market
(Title of Class) (Name of Exchange on which registered)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None
(Title of Class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. YES  þ   NO  ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 (d) of the Act. YES  ¨   NO  þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. YES  þ   NO  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). YES  þ   NO  ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.  ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or emerging growth company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer", "smaller reporting company" and "emerging growth company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one): Large accelerated filer  þ   Accelerated filer  ¨   Non-accelerated filer  ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)  Smaller reporting company  ¨ Emerging growth company  ¨
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). YES  ¨   NO  þ
The aggregate market value of the common stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 20172018 was $1,657,180,835$1,705,630,140 based on the $37.90$38.55 closing price as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market.
The number of shares of the registrant's Common Stock outstanding as of February 23, 2018March 6, 2019 was 45,225,425.45,325,738.
Documents incorporated by reference: Portions of the Registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for its 20182019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.



Table of Contents

  
Item 1.
Item 1A.
Item 1B.
Item 2.
Item 3.
Item 4.
   
  
Item 5.
Item 6.
Item 7.
Item 7A.
Item 8.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Item 9.
Item 9A.
Item 9B.
   
   
   
 

Table of Contents

continued
  
Item 10.
Item 11.
Item 12.
Item 13.
Item 14.
   
  
Item 15.
Item 16.
   
Signatures 


Cautionary Statements Pursuant to Safe Harbor Provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995:
This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding overall cash collection trends, gross margin trends, operating cost trends, liquidity and capital needs and other statements of expectations, beliefs, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends, and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. The risks, uncertainties and assumptions referred to above may include the following:
a prolonged economic recovery or a deterioration in the economic or inflationary environment in the Americas or Europe, including the interest rate environment;
changes in the credit or capital markets, which affect our ability to borrow money or raise capital;
our ability to replace our portfolios of nonperforming loans with additional portfolios;
our ability to purchase nonperforming loans at appropriate prices;
changes in, or interpretations of, federal, state, local, or foreign laws or the administrative practices of various bankruptcy courts, which may impact our ability to collect on our nonperforming loans;
our ability to collect sufficient amounts on our nonperforming loans;
the possibility that we could incur significant allowance charges on our finance receivables;
changes in, or interpretations of, bankruptcy or collection laws that could negatively affect our business, including by causing an increase in certain types of bankruptcy filings involving liquidations, which may cause our collections to decrease;
our ability to manage risks associated with our international operations;
changes in tax laws and interpretations regarding earnings of our subsidiaries located outside of the United States ("U.S.");domestic and foreign operations;
the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax("Tax Act") including interpretations and determinations by tax authorities;
the possibility that we could incur goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges;
adverse effects from the vote by the United Kingdom ("UK") to leave the European Union ("EU");
adverse outcomes in pending litigationslitigation or administrative proceedings;
our loss contingency accruals may not be adequate to cover actual losses;
the possibility that class action suits and other litigation could divert our management's attention and increase our expenses;
the possibility that we could incur business or technology disruptions or cyber incidents;
our ability to collect and enforce our nonperforming loans may be limited under federal, state, local and foreign laws;
our ability to comply with existing and new regulations of the collection industry, the failure of which could result in penalties, fines, litigation, damage to our reputation, or the suspension or termination of or required modification to our ability to conduct our business;
investigations or enforcement actions by governmental authorities, including the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau ("CFPB"), which could result in changes to our business practices, negatively impact our portfolio purchasing volume, make collection of account balances more difficult or expose us to the risk of fines, penalties, restitution payments, and litigation;
the ability of our European operations to comply with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation ("GDPR");
the possibility that compliance with foreign and United States ("U.S.") laws and regulations that apply to our international operations could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions;
our ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the convertible senior notes or to settle conversions in cash;
our ability to maintain,expand, renegotiate or replace our credit facilities;facilities and our ability to comply with the covenants under our financing arrangements;
changes in interest or exchange rates, which could reduce our net income, and the possibility that future hedging strategies may not be successful, which could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, ascondition;
the possibility that the adoption of future accounting standards could negatively impact our failure to comply with hedge accounting principles and interpretations;business; and
the risk factors discussed herinherein and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"("SEC").
You should assume that the information appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K (this "Form("Form 10-K") is accurate only as of the date it was issued. Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
You should carefully consider the factors listed above and review the "Risk Factors" section beginning on page 9, as well as the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section beginning on page 2324 and the "Business" section beginning on page 5.5.
Our forward-looking statements could be wrong in light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions. The future events, developments or results described in, or implied by, this Form 10-K could turn out to be materially different. Except as required by law, we assume no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements after the date of this Form 10-K and you should not expect us to do so.


Investors should also be aware that while we do, from time to time, communicate with securities analysts and others, we do not, by policy, selectively disclose to them any material nonpublic information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, stockholdersinvestors should not assume that we agree with any statement or report issued by any analyst regardless of the content of the statement or report. We do not, by policy, confirm forecasts or projections issued by others. Thus, to the extent that reports issued by securities analysts contain any projections, forecasts or opinions, such reports are not our responsibility.
PART I
Item 1. Business.
General
Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia and incorporated in Delaware, we are a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas and Europe.
Our primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. The accounts we acquire are primarily the unpaid obligations of individuals owed to credit grantors, which include banks and other types of consumer, retail, and auto finance companies. We acquire portfolios of nonperforming loans in two broad categories: Core and Insolvency. Our Core operation specializes in purchasing and collecting nonperforming loan accounts,loans, which we purchased at a substantial discount to face value since either the credit grantor and/or other third-party collection agencies have been unsuccessful in collecting the full balance owed. Our Insolvency operation consists primarily of purchasing and collecting on nonperforming loan accounts where the customer is involved in a bankruptcy proceeding.
We also provide the following fee-based services:
Classservices on class action claims recovery servicesrecoveries and purchases;
Servicing ofby servicing consumer bankruptcy accounts in the U.S.; and
To a lesser extent, contingent collections of nonperforming loans in Europe and South America.
We sold our government services business in January 2017 and PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS") in June 2017.
We have one reportable segment, accounts receivable management, based on similarities among the operating units, including the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or classes of customers for our products and services, the methods used to distribute our products and services, and the nature of the regulatory environment.
We were initially formed as Portfolio Recovery Associates, L.L.C., a Delaware limited liability company, on March 20, 1996. We formed Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. in August 2002 in order to become a publicly traded company and our common stock began trading on the NASDAQ Global Select Market ("NASDAQ") on November 8, 2002. We continuedchanged our legal name to diversify our business by acquiringPRA Group, Inc. on October 23, 2014.
We acquired Aktiv Kapital AS ("Aktiv"), a Norway-based company specializing in the acquisitionpurchase, collection and servicingmanagement of portfolios of nonperforming loans throughout Europe and Canada, on July 16, 2014, and subsequently changed2014. On April 26, 2016, we acquired DTP S.A. ("DTP"), a Polish-based debt collection company, further building our legal name on October 23, 2014 from Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. to PRA Group, Inc. in-house collection efforts in Poland.
We expanded into South America on August 3, 2015 by acquiring 55% of the equity interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"), a servicing platform offor nonperforming loans in Brazil, with the remaining 45% of the equity interest ownedretained by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. On April 26, 2016,December 20, 2018, we completedentered into a strategic partnership with Banco Bradesco S.A. (“Bradesco”), under which Bradesco purchased 79% of our public tender offerinterest in RCB's servicing platform. RCB will continue to purchase 100%be operated by RCB’s founders together with Bradesco. PRA retained an 11.7% equity interest in RCB's servicing platform. The sale did not impact the nonperforming loan purchasing business that we have established in Brazil in partnership with the previous owners of RCB, as it was not part of the sharessale to Bradesco. Accordingly, we will continue to use RCB to service our portfolios of DTP S.A. ("DTP"), a Polish-based debt collection company, further building our in-house collection effortsnonperforming loans in Poland.South America.
All references in this Form 10-K to the "PRA Group," "our," "we," "us," the "Company" or similar terms are to PRA Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
Nonperforming Loan Portfolio Purchases
To identify buying opportunities, we maintain an extensive marketing effort with our senior officers contacting known and prospective sellers of nonperforming loans. From these sellers, we have purchased a variety of nonperforming loans including Visa® and MasterCard® credit cards, private label and other credit cards, installment loans, lines of credit, deficiency balances of various types, legal judgments, and trade payables. Sellers of nonperforming loans include major banks, credit unions, consumer finance companies, telecommunication providers, retailers, utilities, automobile finance companies, student loan companies, and other debt owners. The price at which we acquire portfolios depends on the age of the portfolio, whether it is a Core or Insolvency portfolio, geographic distribution, the seller's selection criteria, our historical experience with a certain asset type or credit grantor, and other similar factors.


Nonperforming Loan Portfolio Purchasing Process
We acquire portfolios of nonperforming loans from credit grantors through auctions and negotiated sales. In an auction process, the seller will assemble a portfolio of nonperforming loans and will seek purchase prices from specifically invited potential purchasers. In a privately negotiated sale process, the credit grantor will contact one or more purchasers directly, receive a bid, and negotiate the terms of sale. In either case, typically, invited purchasers will have already successfully completed a qualification process that can include the seller's review of any or all of the following: the purchaser's experience, reputation, financial standing, operating procedures, business practices, and compliance oversight.
We acquire portfolios of nonperforming loans through either single portfolio transactions, referred to as spot sales, or through the pre-arranged purchase of multiple portfolios over time, referred to as forward flow sales. Under a forward flow contract, we agree to purchase nonperforming loans from credit grantors on a periodic basis, at a price equal to a set percentage of face value of the nonperforming loans over a specified time period, generally from three to twelve months.
Nonperforming Loan Portfolio Collection Operations
Call Center Operations
In higher volume markets, our collection efforts leverage internally staffed call centers. In some newer markets or in markets that have less consistent debt purchasing patterns, most notably outside the U.S., we may utilize external vendors to do some of this work. Whether the accounts are being worked internally or externally, we utilize our proprietary analysis to proportionally direct work efforts to those customers most likely to pay. The analysis driving those decisions relies on various models and variables that have the highest correlation to profitable collections from call activity.
Legal Recovery - Core Portfolios
An important component of our collections effort involves our legal recovery operations and the judicial collection of accounts of customers who we believe have the ability, but not the willingness, to resolve their obligations. There are some markets in which the collection process follows a prescribed time-sensitive and sequential set of legal actions, but in the majority of instances, we use models and analysis andto select those accounts reflecting a high propensity to pay in a legal environment. Depending on the balancecharacteristics of the receivable and the applicable local collection laws, we determine whether to commence legal action to judicially collect on the receivable. The legal process can take an extended period of time and can be costly, but when accounts are selected properly it also usually generates net cash collections that likely would not have been realized otherwise. We use a combination of internal staff (attorney and support), and external staff to pursue legal collections under certain circumstances.
Insolvency Operations
Insolvency Operations in the U.S. manages customer filings under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code on debtor accounts derived from two sources: (1) our purchased pools of bankrupt accounts and (2) our Core purchased pools of nonperforming loans that have filed for bankruptcy or insolvency protection after being acquired by us. We file proofs of claim ("POCs") or claim transfers and actively manage these accounts through the entire life cycle of the insolvencybankruptcy proceeding in order to substantiate our claims and ensure that we participate in any distributions to creditors. Outside of the U.S., thissimilar insolvency work is primarily outsourced to third parties.
Insolvency accounts in the U.S. are typically those filed under Chapter 13 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, have an associated payment plan that generally ranges from three to five years in duration, and can be acquired at any stage in the bankruptcy plan life cycle. Portfolios sold close to the filing of the bankruptcy plan will generally take months to generate cash flow; however, aged portfolios sold years after the filing of the bankruptcy plan will typically generate cash flows immediately. Non-U.S. insolvency accounts may have some slight differences, but generally operate in a similar manner. In Canada, we purchase Consumer Proposal, Consumer Credit Counseling and Bankrupt Accounts. In the UK, we purchase Individual Voluntary Arrangements, Company Voluntary Arrangements, Trust Deeds and Bankrupt Accounts. In Germany, we acquire consumer bankruptcies, which may also consist of small business loans with a personal guarantee.
Fee-Based Services
In addition to the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans, we provide fee-based services including class action claims recovery purchasing and servicing through Claims Compensation Bureau, LLC ("CCB"); contingent collection of nonperforming loans through PRA Group Europe and RCB; and third-party servicing of bankruptcy accounts in the U.S.


Seasonality
Although our business is not impacted significantly by seasonality, cashCash collections in the Americas tend to be higher in the first and second quartersquarter of the year and lowerdue to the high volume of income tax refunds received by individuals in the thirdU.S., and fourth quarters oftrend lower as the year; by contrast, cash collections in Europe tend to be higher in the third and fourth quarters of the year.year progresses. Customer payment patterns arein all of the countries in which we operate can be affected by seasonal employment trends, income tax refunds and holiday spending habits geographically.
Competition
Purchased portfolio competition comesis derived from both third-party contingent fee collection agencies and other purchasers of debt that manage their own nonperforming loans or outsource such servicing. Our primary competitors in our fee-for-servicefee-based business are providers of outsourced receivables management services. Regulatory complexity and burdens, combined with seller preference for experienced portfolio purchasers, create significant barriers to successful entry for new competitors.competitors particularly in the U.S. While both markets remain competitive, the contingent fee industry is more fragmented than the purchased portfolio industry.
We face bidding competition in our acquisition of nonperforming loans and in obtaining placements for our fee-for-servicefee-based businesses. We also compete on the basis of reputation, industry experience and performance. We believe that our competitive strengths include our disciplined and proprietary underwriting process, the extensive data set we have developed as a result of reselling substantially no portfolios since 2002 and inhouse collections,our founding in 1996, our ability to bid on portfolios at appropriate prices, our reputation from previous portfolio purchase transactions, our ability to close transactions in a timely fashion, our strong relationships with credit grantors, of receivables, our team of well-trained collectors who provide quality customer service while complying with applicable collection laws, and our ability to efficiently and effectively collect on various asset types.
Compliance
Our approach to compliance is multifaceted and comprehensive and is overseen by both the Board of Directors and management. Our compliance management system includes policies and procedures, training, monitoring and consumer complaint response. In addition, our compliance expectations extend to our service providers. Our compliance management system is predicated on the following:
our Code of Conduct, which applies to all directors, officers and employees, is available at the Investor Relations page of our website at www.pragroup.com;
compliance and ethics training for our directors, officers and employees;
a confidential telephone and email hotline and web-based portals to report suspected compliance violations, fraud, financial reporting, accounting, and auditing matters and other acts that may be illegal and/or unethical;
regular and annual testing by our compliance and internal audit departments of controls embedded in business processes designed to foster compliance with laws, regulations and internal policy; and
regular evaluation of the legislative and regulatory environment and monitoring of statutory and regulatory changes and relevant case law, so that operations personnel are aware of and in compliance with the laws and judicial decisions that may impact their job duties.
Regulation
We are subject to a variety of federal, state, local, and foreign laws that establish specific guidelines and procedures that debt collectors must follow when collecting customer accounts, including laws relating to the collection, use, retention, security and transfer of personal information. It is our policy to comply with the provisions of all applicable federal, state, local and foreign laws in all of our activities even though there are frequent changes in these laws and regulations, inincluding their interpretation, and application and inconsistencies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Our failure to comply with these laws could result in enforcement action against us, the payment of significant fines and penalties, restrictions upon our operations or our inability to recover amounts owed to us. Significant laws and regulations applicable to our business include the following:
Fair Debt Collection Practices Act ("FDCPA"), which imposes certain obligations and restrictions on the practices of debt collectors, including specific restrictions regarding the time, place and manner of the communications.
Fair Credit Reporting Act ("FCRA"), which obligates credit information providers to verify the accuracy of information provided to credit reporting agencies and investigate consumer disputes concerning the accuracy of such information.


Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, which requires that certain financial institutions, including collection agencies, develop policies to protect the privacy of consumers' private financial information and provide notices to consumers advising them of their privacy policies.


Electronic Funds Transfer Act, which regulates electronic fund transfer transactions, including a consumer’s right to stop payments on a pre-approved fund transfer and right to receive certain documentation of the transaction.
Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"), which, along with similar state laws, places certain restrictions on users of certain automated dialing equipment and pre-recorded messages that place telephone calls to consumers.
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act ("SCRA"), which gives U.S. military service personnel relief from credit obligations they may have incurred prior to entering military service and may also apply in certain circumstances to obligations and liabilities incurred by a servicemember while serving on active duty.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, which provides standards to protect the confidentiality of patients' personal healthcare and financial information in the U.S.
U.S. Bankruptcy Code, which prohibits certain contacts with consumers after the filing of bankruptcy petitions and dictates what types of claims will or will not be allowed in a bankruptcy proceeding andincluding how such claims may be discharged.
Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires that telecommunications companies operating in the U.S. take steps to ensure functionally equivalent services are available for their consumers with disabilities, and requires accommodation of consumers with disabilities, such as the implementation of telecommunications relay services.
U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA"), United Kingdom Bribery Act ("UK Bribery Act") and Other Applicable Legislation. Our operations outside the U.S. are subject to the FCPA, which prohibits U.S. companies and their agents and employees from providing anything of value to a foreign official for the purposes of influencing any act or decision of these individuals in order to obtain an unfair advantage or help obtain or retain business. Although similar to the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act is broader in scope and covers bribes given to or received by any person with improper intent.
Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the "Dodd-Frank Act"), which restructured the regulation and supervision of the financial services industry in the U.S. and created the CFPB. The CFPB has rulemaking, supervisory, and enforcement authority over larger consumer debt collectors. The Dodd-Frank Act, along with the Unfair, Deceptive, or Abusive Acts or Practices ("UDAAP") provisions included therein, and the Federal Trade Commission Act, prohibit unfair, deceptive, and/or abusive acts and practices.
Foreign data protection and privacy laws, which include relevant country specific legislation in the United Kingdom and other European countries where we operate that regulate the processing of information relating to individuals, including the obtaining, holding, use or disclosure of such information; the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, which aims to protect personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in certain circumstances for purposes of electronic commerce in Canada; and the EU Data Protection Directive, which will behas been replaced by the General Data Protection Regulation, effective as of May 25, 2018, which regulates the processing and free movement of personal data within the EU and transfer of such data outside the EU.
Consumer Credit Act 1974 (and its related regulations), Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations of 1999 and the Financial Conduct Authority's consumer credit conduct of business rules, which apply to our international operations and govern consumer credit agreements.
In addition, certain of our EU subsidiaries are subject to capital adequacy and liquidity requirements as prescribed by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority ("SFSA").requirements.
On September 9, 2015, Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC ("PRA"), our wholly owned subsidiary, entered into a consent order with the CFPB, settling a previously disclosed investigation of certain debt collection practices of PRA (the "Consent Order"). PRA entered into the Consent Order for settlement purposes, without admitting the truth of the allegations, other than the jurisdictional facts. Among other things, the Consent Order required PRA to: (i) vacate 837 judgments obtained after the applicable statute of limitations, refund $860,607 in payments received on account of such judgments and waive the remaining $3.4 million in judgment balances; (ii) refund $18.2 million in Litigation Department Calls Restitution, as defined in the Consent Order; and (iii) pay an $8.0 million civil money penalty to the CFPB.


Employees
As of December 31, 2017,2018, we employed 5,1545,377 full-time equivalents globally. We believe thatManagement considers our employee relations with our employees are generally satisfactory.to be good. While none of our North American employees are represented by a union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement, in Europe we work closely with a number of Works Councils,works councils, and in countries where it is the customary local practice, such as Finland and Spain, we have collective bargaining agreements.


Available Information
We make available on or through our website, www.pragroup.com, certain reports that we file with or furnish to the SEC in accordance with the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"). These include our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act ("SEC Filings"). We make this information available on our website free of charge as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file the information with or furnish it to the SEC. The information that is filed with the SEC may be read or copied at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. In addition, information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. The SEC maintains an Internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at: www.sec.gov.
The information contained on, or that can be accessed through our website, is not, and shall not be deemed to be, a part of this Form 10-K or incorporated into any of our other filings we make with the SEC.SEC Filings.
Reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC are also available free of charge upon request by contacting our corporate office at:
PRA Group, Inc.
Attn: Investor Relations
120 Corporate Boulevard, Suite 100
Norfolk, Virginia 23502
Item 1A. Risk Factors.

An investment in our Company involves risk, including the possibility that the value of the investment could fall substantially. The following are risks that could materially affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, liquidity, cash flows, and the value of, and return on, an investment in our Company.

Risks related to our operations and industry

A prolonged economic recovery or deterioration in the economic or inflationary environment in the Americas or Europe could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.

Our performance may be adversely affected by economic, political or inflationary conditions in any market in which we operate. These conditions could include regulatory developments, changes in global or domestic economic policy, legislative changes, the sovereign debt crises experienced in several European countries and the uncertainty on the future of the EU as a result of the United Kingdom'sUK's departure from the EU. Deterioration in economic conditions, a prolonged economic recovery, or a significant rise in inflation could cause personal bankruptcy and insolvency filings to increase, and the ability of consumers to pay their debts could be adversely affected. This may in turn adversely impact our business and financial results. Deteriorating economic conditions or a prolonged recovery could also adversely impact the businesses to which we provide fee-based services, which could reduce our fee income and cash flow.

If global credit market conditions and the stability of global banks deteriorate, it could negatively impact the generation of comprehensive receivable buying opportunities and our business, financial results and ability to succeed in foreign markets could be adversely affected. If conditions in major credit markets deteriorate, the amount of consumer or commercial lending and financing could be reduced, thus decreasing the volume of nonperforming loans available for our purchase.

Other factors associated with the economy that could influence our performance include the financial stability of the lenders on our bank loans and credit facilities and our access to capital and credit. The financial turmoil that adversely affected the banking system and financial markets in recent years resulted in the tightening of credit markets. Although there has been some improvement, a worsening of current conditions could have a negative impact on our business, including a decrease in the value of our financial investments and the insolvency of lending institutions, including the lenders on our bank loans and credit facilities, resulting in our difficulty in or inability to obtain credit. These and other economic factors could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.


We may not be able to continually replace our nonperforming loans with additional portfolios sufficient to operate efficiently and profitably, and/or we may not be able to purchase nonperforming loans at appropriate prices.

To operate profitably, we must acquire and service a sufficient amount of nonperforming loans to generate revenue that exceeds our expenses. Fixed costs such as salaries and other compensation expense constitute a significant portion of our overhead and, if we do not replace the nonperforming loan portfolios we service with additional portfolios, we may have to reduce the number of our collection personnel. We would then have to rehire collection staff if we subsequently obtain additional portfolios. These practices could lead to:
low employee morale;
fewer experienced employees;    
higher training costs;    
disruptions in our operations;    
loss of efficiency; and    
excess costs associated with unused space in our facilities.
    
The availability of nonperforming loan portfolios at prices that generate an appropriate return on our investment depends on a number of factors both within and outside of our control, including the following:
the continuation of high levels of consumer debt obligations;
sales of nonperforming loan portfolios by debt owners; and
competitive factors affecting potential purchasers and credit grantors of receivables.

Furthermore, heightened regulation of the credit card and consumer lending industry or changing credit origination strategies may result in decreased availability of credit to consumers, potentially leading to a future reduction in nonperforming loans available for purchase from debt owners. Conversely, lower regulatory barriers with respect to debt buyers could lead to increased participants in the debt collection industry, which could, in turn, impact the supply of nonperforming loans available for purchase. We cannot predict how our ability to identify and purchase nonperforming loans and the quality of those nonperforming loans would be affected if there were a shift in lending practices, whether caused by changes in the regulations or accounting practices applicable to debt owners or debt buyers, a sustained economic downturn or otherwise.

Moreover, there can be no assurance that debt owners will continue to sell their nonperforming loans consistent with recent levels or at all, or that we will be able to bid competitively for those portfolios. Because of the length of time involved in collecting on acquired portfolios and the variability in the timing of our collections, we may not be able to identify trends and make changes in our purchasing strategies in a timely manner. If we are unable to maintain our business or adapt to changing market needs as well as our current or future competitors, we may experience reduced access to nonperforming loan portfolios at appropriate prices and, therefore, reduced profitability.

Currently, a number of large banks that historically sold nonperforming loans in the U.S. are not selling such debt. This includes sellers of bankrupt accounts, some of whom have elected to stop selling such accounts because they believe that regulatory guidance concerning sales of bankruptcy accounts is ambiguous. Should these conditions worsen, it could negatively impact our ability to replace our nonperforming loans with additional portfolios sufficient to operate profitably.

We may not be able to collect sufficient amounts on our nonperforming loans to fund our operations.

Our principal business consists of acquiring and liquidating nonperforming loans that consumers or others have failed to pay. The debt owners have typically made numerous attempts to recover on their receivables, often using a combination of in-house recovery efforts and third-party collection agencies. These nonperforming loans are difficult to collect, and we may not collect a sufficient amount to cover our investment and the costs of running our business.


For financial reporting purposes, we utilize the interest method of revenue recognition for determining our income recognized on finance receivables, which is based on an analysis of projected cash flows that may prove to be less than anticipated and could lead to the incurrence of allowance charges which would reduce our net finance receivables income.

profitability.
We utilize the interest method to determine income recognized on finance receivables under the guidance of Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification 310-30, "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30"). Under this method, pools of receivables we acquire are modeled upon their projected cash flows. A yield is then established which, when applied to the unamortized purchase price of the receivables, results in the recognition of income at a constant yield relative to the remaining balance in the pool. Each pool is analyzed regularly to assess the actual performance compared to that derived from our models. Under ASC 310-30, rather than lowering the estimated yield if the collection estimates are not received or projected to be received, the carrying value of a pool would be written down to maintain the then current yield and is shownrecorded as a reduction in revenuean allowance charge in the consolidated income statements with a corresponding valuation allowance offsetting finance receivables net, on the consolidated balance sheets. As a result, if the accuracy of the modeling process deteriorates or there is a significant decline in anticipated future cash flows, we could incur reductions in future revenues resulting from additional allowance charges, which could reduce our profitability in a given period.

Changes in accounting standards and their interpretations could adversely affect our operating results.
U.S. GAAP, as issued and amended by the FASB, is subject to interpretation by the SEC, and various other bodies that promulgate and interpret appropriate accounting principles. These principles and related implementation guidelines and interpretations can be highly complex and involve subjective estimates. A change in these principles or interpretations could have a significant effect on our reported financial results. For example, in June 2016 the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“ASU 2016-13”), which requires the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts.  ASU 2016-13 supersedes ASC 310-30, which we currently follow to account for income recognized on our finance receivables and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years.  We expect ASU 2016-13 will have a significant impact on how we measure and record income recognized on our finance receivables and are in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption on our consolidated financial statements and accounting operations. Delays in the release of clarifying guidance could adversely impact our ability to implement the necessary processes and controls required to adopt the standard on a timely basis. ASU 2016-13, amendments thereof, and amendments to new and existing accounting standards could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our collections may decrease if certain types of insolvency proceedings and bankruptcy filings involving liquidations increase.

Various economic trends and potential changes to existing legislation may contribute to an increase in the amount of personal bankruptcy and insolvency filings. Under certain of these filings, a debtor's assets may be sold to repay creditors, but because most of the receivables we collect through our collections operations are unsecured, we typically would not be able to collect on those receivables. Although our insolvency collections business could benefit from an increase in personal bankruptcies and insolvencies, we cannot ensure that our collections operations business would not decline with an increase in personal insolvencies or bankruptcy filings or changes in related regulations or practices. If our actual collection experience with respect to a nonperforming or insolvent bankrupt receivables portfolio is significantly lower than the total amount we projected when we purchased the portfolio, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely impacted.

Our international operations expose us to risks which could harm our business, results of operations and financial condition.

A significant portion of our operations is conducted outside the U.S. This could expose us to adverse economic, industry and political conditions that may have a negative impact on our ability to manage our existing operations or pursue alternative strategic transactions, which could have a negative effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.

The global nature of our operations expands the risks and uncertainties described elsewhere in this section, including the following:    
changes in local political, economic, social and labor conditions in the markets in which we operate, including Europe, Brazil and Canada;the Americas;
foreign exchange controls on currency conversion and the transfer of funds that might prevent us from repatriating cash earned in countries outside the U.S. in a tax-efficient manner;
currency exchange rate fluctuations, currency restructurings, inflation or deflation, and our ability to manage these fluctuations through a foreign exchange risk management program;

different employee/employer relationships, laws and regulations, union recognition and the existence of employment tribunals and Works Councils;works councils;
laws and regulations imposed by foreign governments, including those governing data security, sharing and transfer;
potentially adverse tax consequences resulting from changes in tax laws in the foreign jurisdictions in which we operate or challenges to our interpretations and application of complex international tax laws;
logistical, communications and other challenges caused by distance and cultural and language differences, each making it harder to do business in certain jurisdictions;
risks related to crimes, strikes, riots, civil disturbances, terrorist attacks, wars and natural disasters;
volatility of global credit markets and the availability of consumer credit and financing in our international markets;
uncertainty as to the enforceability of contract and intellectual property rights under local laws;

the potential of forced nationalization of certain industries, or the impact on creditors' rights, consumer disposable income levels, flexibility and availability of consumer credit, and the ability to enforce and collect aged or charged-off debts stemming from foreign governmental actions, whether through austerity or stimulus measures or initiative, intended to control or influence macroeconomic factors such as wages, unemployment, national output or consumption, inflation, investment, credit, finance, taxation or other economic drivers;
the presence of varying levels of business corruption in international markets and the effect of various anti-corruption and other laws on our foreign operations;
the impact on our day-to-day operations and our ability to staff our international operations given our high employee turnover rates, changing labor conditions and long-term trends towards higher wages in developed and emerging international markets as well as the potential impact of union organizing efforts;
potential damage to our reputation due to non-compliance with foreign and local laws; and
the complexity and necessity of using non-U.S. representatives, consultants and other third-party vendors.
Furthermore, our future tax expense could be affected by changes in the mix of earnings in countries with differing statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, or changes in tax laws or their interpretation. The determination of the provision for income taxes and other tax liabilities regarding our global operations requires significant judgment. Although we believe our estimates are reasonable, the ultimate tax outcome may differ from the amounts recorded in our financial statements and may adversely affect our financial results in the period(s) for which such determination is made.
Our tax filings are subject to audit by domestic and foreign tax authorities. These audits may result in assessments of additional taxes, adjustments to the timing of taxable income or deductions, or re-allocations of income among tax jurisdictions.
Any one of these factors could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The impact of the Tax Act, including interpretations and determinations by taxing authorities, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
OnIn December 22, 2017, the President of the United States of America signed the Tax Act whichbecame law. The Tax Act includes a broad range of tax reform provisions affecting businesses, including a reduction in the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%; a one-time transition tax on certain unrepatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries; generally eliminating U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; requiring a current inclusion in U.S. federal taxable income of certain earnings of controlled foreign corporations referred to as Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income;Income (“GILTI”); creating the base erosion anti-abuse tax, a new minimum tax; creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and increased limitations on the deductibility of executive compensation. The Tax Act impacted our effective tax rate for fiscal year 2018 and will impact our effective tax rate for fiscal years 2018 and beyond.in the future. The new law makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code and we expect to see future regulatory, administrative or legislative guidance. While we expect that the lowering of the U.S. federal tax rate will have a positive impact on our worldwide effective tax rate, we are analyzing the Tax Act to determine the full impact of the new tax law. To the extent any future guidance differs from our preliminarycurrent interpretation of the law, it could have a material effect on our financial position and results of operations.
In addition, many countries in the EU and around the world have adopted and/or proposed changes to current tax laws. Further, organizations such as the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have published actions that, if adopted by countries where we do business, could increase our tax obligations in those countries. Due to the scale of our U.S. and international

business activities, many of these enacted and proposed changes to the taxation of our activities could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and harmpotentially harming our financial position and results of operations.
Goodwill or other intangible asset impairment charges could negatively impact our net income and stockholders' equity.
We have recorded a significant amount of goodwill as a result of our acquisitions. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level. Goodwill is required to be tested for impairment annually and between annual tests if events or circumstances indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. There are numerous risks that may cause the fair value of a reporting unit to fall below its carrying amount, which could lead to the recognition of goodwill impairment. These risks include, but are not limited to, adverse changes in macroeconomic conditions, the business climate, or the market for the entity's products or services; significant variances between actual and expected financial results; negative or declining cash flows; lowered expectations of future results; failure to realize anticipated synergies from acquisitions; significant expense increases; a more likely-than-not expectation of selling or disposing all or a portion of a reporting unit; the loss of key personnel; an adverse action or assessment by a regulator; andor a sustained decrease in the Company's share price.

Our goodwill impairment testing involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment, including judgments regarding expected future business performance and market conditions. Significant changes in our assessment of such factors, including the deterioration of market conditions, could affect our assessment of the fair value of one or more of our reporting units and could result in a goodwill impairment charge in a future period.
Other intangible assets, such as client and customer relationships, non-compete agreements and trademarks, are amortized. Risks such as those that could lead to the recognition of goodwill impairment, could also lead to the recognition of other intangible asset impairment.
The vote by the UK to leave the EU, and the ultimate exit of the UK from the EU, could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.

On June 23, 2016, the UK voted to leave the EU.EU (commonly referred to as "Brexit"). Although the vote had no binding legal effect, it adversely impacted global markets and resulted in a decline in the value of the British pound as compared to the U.S. dollar and other currencies. The UK's exit negotiations with the EU officially began in June 2017. ItEU rules provide for a two-year negotiation period, ending on March 29, 2019, unless an extension is expected thatagreed to by the parties. There remains significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the UK and the EU, including the possibility of the UK leaving the EU without a negotiated and bilaterally approved withdrawal plan. The impact of the UK's actual exitultimate withdrawal from the EU or Brexit, will take place in March 2019. However, perceptions concerningany related changes to the impact of the UK's withdrawal from the EUdecision may adversely affect business activity, political stability and economic conditions in the UK, the EU and globally, which could in turn adversely affect European or worldwide political, regulatory, economic and financial market conditions.
As of December 31, 2017,2018, the total estimated remaining collections ("ERC") of our UK portfolios constituted approximately 17%20% of our consolidated ERC. We expectOur British pound assets are predominantly funded by British pound liabilities. However, British pound net income and retained earnings could be affected when translated back to the U.S. dollar, positively or negatively, by foreign exchange volatility in exchange rates in the short term as the UK negotiates its exitresulting from the EU. A weaker British pound compared to the U.S. dollar during a reporting period could cause local currency resultsuncertainty of our UK operations to be translated into fewer U.S. dollars.Brexit. In the longer term, any impact from Brexit on our business, results of operations and financial condition will depend on the final terms negotiated by the UK and the EU, including arrangements concerning taxes and financial services regulation.
Our loss contingency accruals may not be adequate to cover actual losses.
We are involved in judicial, regulatory, and arbitration proceedings or investigations concerning matters arising from our business activities. We believe that we have adopted reasonable compliance policies and procedures and believe we have meritorious defenses in all material litigation pending against us. However, there can be no assurance as to the ultimate outcome. We establish accruals for potential liability arising from legal proceedings when it is probable that such liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. We may still incur legal costs for a matter even if we have not accrued a liability. In addition, actual losses may be higher than the amount accrued for a certain matter, or in the aggregate. An unfavorable resolution of a legal proceeding or claim could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, or liquidity. For more information, refer to the "Litigation and Regulatory Matters" section of Note 1413 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 14"13").
Class action suits and other litigation could divert our management's attention from operating our business and increase our expenses.
Grantors,Credit grantors, nonperforming loan purchasers and third-party collection agencies and attorneys in the consumer credit industry are frequently subject to putative class action lawsuits and other litigation. Claims include failure to comply with applicable

laws and regulations and improper or deceptive origination and servicing practices. An unfavorable outcome in a class action suit or other litigation could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and liquidity. Even when we prevail or the basis for the litigation is groundless, considerable time, energy and resources may be needed to respond, and such class action lawsuits or other litigation could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition, cash flows and cash flows.liquidity.
The occurrence of cyber incidents, or a deficiency in our cyber-security, could negatively impact our business by disrupting our operations, compromising or corrupting our confidential information or damaging our image, all of which could negatively impact our business and financial results.
Our business is highly dependent on our ability to process and monitor a large number of transactions across markets and in multiple currencies. As our geographical reach expands, maintaining the security of our systems and infrastructure becomes more significant. Privacy laws in the U.S., Europe and elsewhere govern the collection and transmission of personal data. As our reliance on technology has increased, so have the risks posed to our systems, both internal and those we have outsourced. Our three primary risks that could directly result from the occurrence of a cyber incident are operational interruption, damage to our image, and private data exposure. Private data may include customer information, our employees' personally identifiable information, or proprietary business information such as underwriting and collections methodologies. We have implemented solutions, processes, and procedures to help mitigate these risks, but these measures, as well as our organization's increased awareness of our risk of a cyber incident do not guarantee that our business, reputation or financial results will not be negatively impacted by such an incident.

However, should Should such a cyber incident occur, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to notify affected consumers, modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures. Additionally, we may be subject to fines, penalties, litigation costs and settlements and financial losses that may not be fully covered by our cyber insurance.
Risks associated with governmental regulation and laws
Our ability to collect and enforce our nonperforming loans may be limited under federal, state and foreign laws, regulations and policies.
The businesses conducted by our operating subsidiaries are subject to licensing and regulation by governmental and regulatory bodies in the many jurisdictions in which we operate. Federal and state laws and the laws and regulations of the foreign countries in which we operate may limit our ability to collect on and enforce our rights with respect to our nonperforming loans regardless of any act or omission on our part. Some laws and regulations applicable to credit issuers may preclude us from collecting on nonperforming loans we purchase if the credit issuer previously failed to comply with applicable laws in generating or servicing those receivables. Collection laws and regulations also directly apply to our business. Such laws and regulations are extensive and subject to change. A variety of state, federal and international laws and regulations govern the collection, use, retention, transmission, sharing and security of consumer data. Consumer protection and privacy protection laws, changes in the ways that existing rules or laws are interpreted or enforced and any procedures that may be implemented as a result of regulatory consent orders may adversely affect our ability to collect on our nonperforming loans and may harm our business. Our failure to comply with laws or regulations applicable to us could limit our ability to collect on our receivables, which could reduce our profitability and harm our business.
Failure to comply with government regulation of the collections industry could result in penalties, fines, litigation, damage to our reputation or the suspension or termination of our ability to conduct our business.
The collections industry throughout the markets in which we operate is governed by various laws and regulations, many of which require us to be a licensed debt collector. Our industry is also at times investigated by regulators and offices of state attorneys general, and subpoenas and other requests or demands for information may be issued by governmental authorities who are investigating debt collection activities. These investigations may result in enforcement actions, fines and penalties, or the assertion of private claims and lawsuits. If any such investigations result in findings that we or our vendors have failed to comply with applicable laws and regulations, we could be subject to penalties, litigation losses and expenses, damage to our reputation, or the suspension or termination of, or required modification to, our ability to conduct collections, which would adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
In a number of jurisdictions, we must maintain licenses to purchase or own debt, and/or to perform debt recovery services and must satisfy related bonding requirements. Our failure to comply with existing licensing requirements, changing interpretations of existing requirements, or adoption of new licensing requirements, could restrict our ability to collect in certain jurisdictions, subject us to increased regulation, increase our costs, or adversely affect our ability to purchase, own and/or collect our receivables.
Some laws, among other things, also may limit the interest rate and the fees that a credit grantor may impose on our consumers, limit the time in which we may file legal actions to enforce consumer accounts, and require specific account information for certain collection activities. In addition, local requirements and court rulings in various jurisdictions also may affect our ability to collect.

Regulations and statutes applicable to our industry further provide that, in some cases, consumers cannot be held liable for, or their liability may be limited with respect to, charges to their debt or credit card accounts that resulted from unauthorized use of their credit. These laws, among others, may limit our ability to recover amounts owing with respect to the receivables, whether or not we committed any wrongful act or omission in connection with the account.
If we fail to comply with any applicable laws and regulations discussed above, such failure could result in penalties, litigation losses and expenses, damage to our reputation, or otherwise impact our ability to conduct collections efforts, which could adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Investigations or enforcement actions by governmental authorities may result in changes to our business practices; negatively impact our receivables portfolio purchasing volume; make collection of receivables more difficult; or expose us to the risk of fines, penalties, restitution payments and litigation.
Our debt collection activities and business practices are subject to review from time to time by various governmental authorities and regulators, including the CFPB, which may commence investigations or enforcement actions, or reviews targeted at businesses in the financial services industry. These reviews may involve governmental authority consideration of individual consumer complaints, or could involve a broader review of our debt collection policies and practices. Such investigations could lead to

assertions by governmental authorities that we are not complying with applicable laws or regulations. In such circumstances, authorities may request or seek to impose a range of remedies that could involve potential compensatory or punitive damage claims, fines, restitution payments, sanctions or injunctive relief, that if agreed to or granted, could require us to make payments or incur other expenditures that could have an adverse effect on our financial position. The CFPB has the authority to obtain cease and desist orders (which can include orders for restitution or rescission of contracts, as well as other kinds of affirmative relief), recover costs, and impose monetary penalties (ranging from $5,000 per day to over $1 million per day, depending on the nature and gravity of the violation). In addition, where a company has violated Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act or CFPB regulations implemented thereunder, the Dodd-Frank Act empowers state attorneys general and other state regulators to bring civil actions to remedy violations under state law. Government authorities could also request or seek to require us to cease certain of our practices or institute new practices. Negative publicity relating to investigations or proceedings brought by governmental authorities could have an adverse impact on our reputation, could harm our ability to conduct business with industry participants, and could result in financial institutions reducing or eliminating sales of receivables portfolios to us which would harm our business and negatively impact our results of operations. Moreover, changing or modifying our internal policies or procedures, responding to governmental inquiries and investigations and defending lawsuits or other proceedings could require significant efforts on the part of management and result in increased costs to our business. In addition, such efforts could divert management's full attention from our business operations. All of these factors could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
The CFPB has issued civil investigative demands to many companies that it regulates and is currently examiningperiodically examines practices regarding the collection of consumer debt. In September 2015, we entered into the Consent Order with the CFPB settling a previously disclosed investigation of certain debt collection practices of PRA. TheAmong other things, the Consent Order resultedrequired PRA to: (i) vacate 837 judgments obtained after the applicable statute of limitations, refund $860,607 in payments received on account of such judgments and waive the remaining $3.4 million in judgment balances; (ii) refund $18.2 million in Litigation Department Calls Restitution, as defined in the payment of $19Consent Order; and (iii) pay an $8.0 million in consumer refunds and an $8 million penalty. In addition, we were requiredcivil money penalty to cease collection of approximately $3 million of consumer debt and modify some of our collections practices.the CFPB. Although we have implemented the requirements of the Consent Order, there can be no assurance that additional litigation or new industry regulations currently under consideration by the CFPB would not have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition. In addition, the CFPB monitors our compliance with the Consent Order and could make a determination that we have failed to adhere to our obligations. Such a determination could result in additional inquiries, penalties or liabilities, which could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Compliance with complex and evolving foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions.
We operate on a global basis with offices and activities in a number of jurisdictions throughout the Americas and Europe. We face increased exposure to risks inherent in conducting business internationally, including compliance with complex foreign and U.S. laws and regulations that apply to our international operations, which could increase our cost of doing business in international jurisdictions. These laws and regulations include those related to taxation and anti-corruption laws such as the FCPA, the UK Bribery Act and other local laws prohibiting corrupt payments to governmental officials. Given the complexity of these laws, there is a risk that we may inadvertently breach certain provisions of these laws, such as through the negligent behavior of an employee or our failure to comply with certain formal documentation requirements. Violations of these laws and regulations by us, any of our employees or our third-party vendors, either inadvertently or intentionally, could result in fines and penalties, criminal sanctions, restrictions on our operations and limits on our ability to offer our products and services in one or more countries. Violations of these laws could also adversely affect our business, brand, international expansion efforts, ability to attract and retain employees and results of operations.

The impact of the GDPR, including interpretations and determinations by regulatory authorities, could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
On May 25, 2018, the EU adopted the GDPR, which impacts our European operations. The GDPR updated data privacy compliance obligations, which required us to adapt our business practices accordingly. Financial penalties for noncompliance with the GDPR can be significant.
The regulation of data privacy in the EU and around the globe continues to evolve, and it is not possible to predict the effect of such rigorous data protection regulations over time, which could result in increased costs of conducting business to maintain compliance with such regulations. Although we take significant steps to protect the security of our data and the personal data of our customers, we may be required to expend significant resources to comply with regulations if third parties improperly obtain and use such data.
Risks associated with indebtedness
We utilize bank loans, credit facilities and convertible notes to finance our business activities, which could negatively impact our liquidity and business operations if we are unable to retain, renegotiate, expand or replace our bank loans and credit facilities or raise the necessary funds to repurchase the convertible notes.
As described in Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, our sources of financing include a North American credit facility, a European multicurrency revolving credit facility and convertible senior notes. The credit facilities contain financial and other restrictive covenants, including restrictions on how we operate our business and our ability to pay dividends to our stockholders. Failure to satisfy any one of these covenants could result in negative consequences including the following:    
acceleration of outstanding indebtedness;
exercise by our lenders of rights with respect to the collateral pledged under certain of our outstanding indebtedness;
our inability to continue to purchase nonperforming loans needed to operate our business; or

our inability to secure alternative financing on favorable terms, if at all.
If we are unable to retain, renegotiate, expand or replace our credit facilities, including as a result of failure to satisfy the restrictive covenants contained in them, our liquidity and business operations could be impacted negatively.
We have additional indebtedness in the form of Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 and 2023 (collectively the "Notes") and may not have the ability to raise the funds necessary to repurchase the Notes upon a fundamental change or to settle conversions in cash. Our ability to make scheduled payments of the principal of, to pay interest on, or to refinance our indebtedness, including the Notes, or to make cash payments in connection with any conversion of the Notes depends on our future performance, which is subject to economic, financial, competitive and other factors beyond our control. Our ability to refinance our indebtedness will depend on the capital markets and our financial condition at that time. We may not be able to engage in any of these activities or engage in these activities on desirable terms, which could result in a default on our debt obligations. In addition, in the event the conditional conversion features of the Notes are triggered, holders of the Notes are entitled to convert the Notes into shares of our common stock at any time during specified periods at their option, subject to the terms of the indenture governing the Notes. Upon conversion, unless we elect to deliver solely shares of our common stock to settle such conversion (other than paying cash in lieu of delivering any fractional shares of our common stock), we will be required to make cash payments in respect of the Notes. However, we may not have enough available cash or be able to obtain financing at the time we are required to repurchase Notes surrendered to settle conversions in cash, and our ability to repurchase the Notes or pay cash upon conversion may be limited by law. Any issuance of shares of our common stock upon conversion of the Notes would dilute the ownership interest of our stockholders.
We may be restricted from paying cash upon conversion of the Notes, repurchasing the Notes for cash when required and repaying the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the Notes unless we repay all amounts outstanding under, and terminate, our North American Credit Agreement, andAgreement. Additionally, our future indebtedness may contain limitations on our ability to pay cash upon conversion of the Notes and on our ability to repurchase the Notes.
The terms of our North American Credit Agreement prohibit us from paying cash upon conversion of the Notes, repurchasing the Notes for cash when required upon the occurrence of a fundamental change and repaying the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes if a default or an event of default exists on the date of such required payment, repurchase or repayment, as applicable, or certain other conditions are not met, including pro forma compliance with the financial covenants and having “Sufficient Liquidity” (described below). As a result, we will be restricted

from making such payments unless the default or event of default under our North American Credit Agreement is cured or waived, such conditions are met and/or we repay all amounts then outstanding under, and terminate, our North American Credit Agreement.
In addition, under our North American Credit Agreement our ability to settle conversions of the Notes in cash requires that immediately prior to any such conversion, our cash and cash equivalents (including our availability under our domestic and multi-currency revolving facilities under our North American Credit Agreement) be at least 115% of the sum of the principal amount of the Notes to be paid in cash (“Sufficient Liquidity”). The terms of any additional indebtedness incurred as permitted by our North American Credit Agreement may contain similar or more onerous restrictions than the foregoing.
Our failure to repurchase Notes, to pay, when due, cash upon conversion of the Notes or repay the Notes at maturity or upon acceleration following an event of default under the indenture governing the Notes would constitute a default under the indenture governing the Notes. A default under the indenture may constitute a default under our North American Credit Agreement.
Changes in interest rates could increase our interest expense and reduce our net income.
Our revolving credit facilities bear interest at variable rates. Increases in interest rates could increase our interest expense which would, in turn, lower our earnings. From time to time, we may enter into hedging transactions to mitigate our interest rate risk on all or a portion of our debt. Hedging strategies rely on assumptions and projections. If these assumptions and projections prove to be incorrect or our hedges do not adequately mitigate the impact of changes in interest rates, we may experience volatility in our earnings that could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Default by or failure of one or more of our counterparty financial institutions could cause us to incur significant losses.
As part of our risk management activities, we enter into transactions involving derivative financial instruments, including, among others, forward contracts and interest rate swap contracts, with various financial institutions. In addition, we have significant amounts of cash and cash equivalents on deposit or in accounts with banks or other financial institutions in the U.S. and abroad. As a result, we are exposed to the risk of default by, or failure of, counterparty financial institutions. The risk of counterparty default or failure may be heightened during economic downturns and periods of uncertainty in the financial markets. If one of our counterparties were to become insolvent or file for bankruptcy, our ability to recover losses incurred as a result of default or to retrieve our assets that are deposited or held in accounts with such counterparty may be limited by the counterparty's liquidity or the applicable laws governing the insolvency or bankruptcy proceedings.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments.
None.


Item 2. Properties.
Our corporate headquarters and primary domestic operations facilityfacilities are located in Norfolk, Virginia. In addition, at December 31, 2018, we havehad operational centers, all of which are leased except the facilities in Kansas and Tennessee, in the following locations in the Americas and Europe:
Americas
 - Birmingham, Alabama - Jackson, Tennessee 
 - Burlington, North Carolina - London, Ontario, Canada 
 - Hampton, Virginia - North Richland Hills, Texas 
 - Henderson, Nevada - San Diego, California 
 - Hutchinson, Kansas - São Paulo, Brazil 
Europe
 - Bromley, United Kingdom - Madrid, Spain 
 - Duisburg, Germany - Oslo, Norway 
 - Eisenstadt, Austria - Padova, Italy 
 - Helsinki, Finland - Uppsala, Sweden 
 - Kilmarnock, United Kingdom - Warsaw, Poland 
 - Luxembourg, Luxembourg - Zug, Switzerland 
We also lease several less significant facilities in various locations throughout the Americas and Europe, which are not listed above. We do not consider any specific leased or owned facility to be material to our operations. We believe that equally suitable alternative facilities are available throughout our geographic market areas.

Item 3. Legal Proceedings.
We and our subsidiaries are from time to time subject to a variety of routine legal and regulatory claims, inquiries and proceedings, most of which are incidental to the ordinary course of our business. We initiate lawsuits against customers and are occasionally countersued by them in such actions. Also, customers, either individually, as members of a class action, or through a governmental entity on behalf of customers, may initiate litigation against us in which they allege that we have violated a state or federal law in the process of collecting on an account. From time to time, other types of lawsuits are brought against us.
Refer to Note 1413 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for information regarding legal proceedings in which we are involved.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures.
Not applicable.

PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Price Range of Common Stock
Our common stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol "PRAA." The following table sets forth the high and low sales price for our common stock, as reported by NASDAQ, for the periods indicated.
 2017 2016
 High Low High Low
Quarter ended March 31,$42.70 $31.75 $35.98 $20.00
Quarter ended June 30,$38.45 $30.95 $34.15 $22.51
Quarter ended September 30,$40.15 $25.72 $34.99 $21.93
Quarter ended December 31,$36.00 $26.85 $39.70 $23.15
Based on information provided by our transfer agent and registrar, as of February 16, 2018,15, 2019, there were 5451 holders of record and 38,83023,020 beneficial owners of our common stock.
Stock Performance
The following graph and subsequent table comparescompare from December 31, 20122013 to December 31, 2017,2018, the cumulative stockholder returns assuming an initial investment of $100 in our common stock (PRAA), the stocks comprising the NASDAQ Financial 100 (IXF) and the stocks comprising the NASDAQ Global Market Composite Index (NQGM) at the beginning of the period. Any dividends paid during the five yearfive-year period are assumed to be reinvested.

chart-5afddbda38fa5bd9acc.jpg
Ticker 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017Ticker 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018
PRA Group, Inc.PRAA $100
 $148
 $163
 $97
 $110
 $93
PRAA $100
 $110
 $66
 $74
 $63
 $46
NASDAQ Financial 100IXF $100
 $142
 $149
 $159
 $201
 $232
IXF $100
 $105
 $112
 $141
 $163
 $149
NASDAQ Global Market Composite IndexNQGM $100
 $167
 $177
 $176
 $170
 $212
NQGM $100
 $106
 $106
 $102
 $127
 $148
The comparisons of stock performance shown above are not intended to forecast or be indicative of possible future performance of our common stock. We do not make or endorse any predictions as to our future stock performance.


Dividend Policy
Our board of directors sets our dividend policy. We do not currently pay regular dividends on our common stock and did not pay dividends in the three years ended December 31, 2017;2018; however, our board of directors may determine in the future to declare or pay dividends on our common stock. Under the terms of our credit facilities, cash dividends may not exceed $20 million in any fiscal year without the consent of our lenders. Any future determination as to the declaration and payment of dividends will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend on then existing conditions, including our results of operations, financial condition, contractual restrictions, capital requirements, business prospects and other factors that our board of directors may consider relevant.


Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities
None.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
For information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans see Note 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Share Repurchase Programs
On October 22, 2015, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $125 million of our outstanding shares of common stock.
During the second quarter of 2017, we repurchased approximately $44.9 million of our outstanding shares of common stock which concluded the program.None.



Item 6. Selected Financial Data.
The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" included in Item 7 of this Form 10-K and our Consolidated Financial Statements and the related notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K .10-K. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation. In addition, certain prior year amounts have been revised to correct immaterial errors which are reflected in the fourth quarter of the respective year in the quarterly income statement and balance sheet data tables included in Item 6 of this Form 10-K. For additional information on the correction of the immaterial errors see Note 17 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Consolidated Income Statement, Operating and Other Financial Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Consolidated Income Statement, Operating and Other Financial Data
$ in thousands, except per share amounts
Consolidated Income Statement, Operating and Other Financial Data
$ in thousands, except per share amounts
Years Ended December 31,Years Ended December 31,
Income Statement Data:2017 2016 2015 2014 20132018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Revenues:                  
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$780,803
 $745,119
 $865,122
 $807,474
 $663,546
Income recognized on finance receivables$891,899
 $795,435
 $845,142
 $894,491
 $802,539
Fee income24,916
 77,381
 64,383
 65,675
 71,532
14,916
 24,916
 77,381
 64,383
 65,675
Other revenue7,855
 8,080
 12,513
 7,820
 57
1,441
 7,855
 8,080
 12,513
 7,820
Total revenues813,574
 830,580
 942,018
 880,969
 735,135
908,256
 828,206
 930,603
 971,387
 876,034
         
Net allowance charges(33,425) (11,898) (98,479) (29,369) 4,935
         
Operating expenses:                  
Compensation and employee services273,033
 258,846
 268,345
 234,531
 192,474
319,400
 273,033
 258,846
 268,345
 234,531
Legal collection expenses119,398
 132,202
 129,456
 139,161
 124,551
Legal collection fees42,941
 43,351
 47,717
 53,393
 51,107
Legal collection costs104,988
 76,047
 84,485
 76,063
 88,054
Agency fees35,530
 44,922
 32,188
 16,399
 5,901
33,854
 35,530
 44,922
 32,188
 16,399
Outside fees and services62,792
 63,098
 65,155
 55,821
 31,615
61,492
 62,792
 63,098
 65,155
 55,821
Communication33,132
 33,771
 33,113
 33,085
 28,161
43,224
 33,132
 33,771
 33,113
 33,085
Rent and occupancy14,823
 15,710
 14,714
 11,509
 8,311
16,906
 14,823
 15,710
 14,714
 11,509
Depreciation and amortization19,763
 24,359
 19,874
 18,414
 14,417
19,322
 19,763
 24,359
 19,874
 18,414
Other operating expenses44,103
 39,466
 68,829
 29,981
 25,781
47,444
 44,103
 39,466
 68,829
 29,981
Impairment of goodwill
 
 
 
 6,397
Total operating expenses602,574
 612,374
 631,674
 538,901
 437,608
689,571
 602,574
 612,374
 631,674
 538,901
Income from operations211,000
 218,206
 310,344
 342,068
 297,527
185,260
 213,734
 219,750
 310,344
 342,068
Other income and (expense):                  
Gain on sale of subsidiaries48,474
 
 
 
 
26,575
 48,474
 
 
 
Interest expense, net(98,041) (80,864) (60,336) (35,226) (14,466)(121,078) (98,041) (80,864) (60,336) (35,226)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)(1,104) 2,564
 7,514
 (5,829) 4
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain(944) (1,104) 2,564
 7,514
 (5,829)
Other(2,790) (5,823) 
 
 
(316) (2,790) (5,823) 
 
Income before income taxes157,539
 134,083
 257,522
 301,013
 283,065
89,497
 160,273
 135,627
 257,522
 301,013
Income tax (benefit)/expense(11,536) 43,191
 89,391
 124,508
 106,146
Income tax expense/(benefit)13,763
 (10,852) 43,577
 89,391
 124,508
Net income169,075
 90,892
 168,131
 176,505
 176,919
75,734
 171,125
 92,050
 168,131
 176,505
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interest6,810
 5,795
 205
 
 1,605
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests10,171
 6,810
 5,795
 205
 
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$162,265
 $85,097
 $167,926
 $176,505
 $175,314
$65,563
 $164,315
 $86,255
 $167,926
 $176,505
Net income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:         
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:         
Basic$3.55 $1.84 $3.49 $3.53 $3.48$1.45 $3.60 $1.86 $3.49 $3.53
Diluted$3.54 $1.83 $3.47 $3.50 $3.45$1.44 $3.59 $1.86 $3.47 $3.50
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                  
Basic45,671
 46,316
 48,128
 49,990
 50,366
45,280
 45,671
 46,316
 48,128
 49,990
Diluted45,823
 46,388
 48,405
 50,421
 50,873
45,413
 45,823
 46,388
 48,405
 50,421
Operating and Other Financial Data:                  
Cash receipts$1,537,521
 $1,569,367
 $1,603,878
 $1,444,487
 $1,213,969
$1,640,121
 $1,537,521
 $1,569,367
 $1,603,878
 $1,444,487
Operating expenses to cash receipts39% 39% 39% 37% 36%42% 39% 39% 39% 37%
Return on equity (1)
17% 10% 20% 19% 22%6% 17% 10% 20% 19%
Acquisitions of finance receivables, at cost (2)
$1,108,959
 $947,331
 $963,811
 $1,432,764
 $656,785
$1,117,997
 $1,108,959
 $947,331
 $963,811
 $1,432,764
Full-time equivalents at period end5,154
 4,019
 3,799
 3,880
 3,543
5,377
 5,154
 4,019
 3,799
 3,880
(1)Calculated by dividing net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. for each year by average monthly stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc. for the sameeach year.
(2)Represents cash paid for finance receivables through the ordinary course of business as well as the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.


Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Key Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
As of December 31,As of December 31,
2017 2016 2015 2014 20132018 2017 2016 2015 2014
Cash and cash equivalents$120,516
 $94,287
 $71,372
 $39,661
 $162,004
$98,695
 $120,516
 $94,287
 $71,372
 $39,661
Finance receivables, net2,771,921
 2,307,969
 2,202,113
 2,001,790
 1,239,191
3,084,777
 2,776,199
 2,309,513
 2,202,113
 2,001,790
Total assets3,697,764
 3,163,999
 2,990,567
 2,778,751
 1,601,232
3,909,559
 3,700,972
 3,165,157
 2,990,567
 2,778,751
Borrowings2,170,182
 1,784,101
 1,717,129
 1,482,456
 451,780
2,473,656
 2,170,182
 1,784,101
 1,717,129
 1,482,456
Total equity1,137,509
 917,163
 839,747
 902,215
 869,476
1,123,969
 1,140,717
 918,321
 839,747
 902,215
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Quarterly Income Statement Data
Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts
Dec 31, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 Mar 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2016 Sep 30, 2016 Jun 30, 2016 Mar 31, 2016Dec 31, 2018 Sep 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2018 Mar 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 Mar 31, 2017
Revenues:                              
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$198,177
 $197,248
 $190,843
 $194,535
 $131,965
 $202,639
 $204,008
 $206,507
Income recognized on finance receivables$231,029
 $223,228
 $219,018
 $218,624
 $203,397
 $200,660
 $194,164
 $197,214
Fee income6,043
 2,671
 6,344
 9,858
 21,171
 17,597
 22,347
 16,266
4,686
 2,561
 2,342
 5,327
 6,043
 2,671
 6,344
 9,858
Other revenue1,454
 1,091
 3,145
 2,165
 2,122
 1,748
 2,101
 2,109
1,027
 99
 158
 157
 1,454
 1,091
 3,145
 2,165
Total revenues205,674
 201,010
 200,332
 206,558
 155,258
 221,984
 228,456
 224,882
236,742
 225,888
 221,518
 224,108
 210,894
 204,422
 203,653
 209,237
               
Net allowance charges(21,381) (8,285) (2,834) (925) (2,486) (3,412) (3,321) (2,679)
               
Operating expenses:                              
Compensation and employee services69,253
 68,541
 66,771
 68,468
 61,390
 65,898
 64,793
 66,765
79,123
 78,350
 80,690
 81,237
 69,253
 68,541
 66,771
 68,468
Legal collection expenses28,842
 27,626
 31,202
 31,728
 34,726
 33,447
 33,897
 30,132
Legal collection fees11,501
 10,428
 10,343
 10,669
 10,061
 10,065
 11,967
 11,258
Legal collection costs33,281
 30,769
 18,695
 22,243
 18,781
 17,561
 19,235
 20,470
Agency fees7,877
 7,599
 9,254
 10,800
 10,695
 12,034
 11,309
 10,884
9,088
 8,350
 8,138
 8,278
 7,877
 7,599
 9,254
 10,800
Outside fees and services15,815
 15,631
 18,061
 13,285
 16,683
 14,731
 15,876
 15,808
17,068
 15,701
 14,565
 14,158
 15,815
 15,631
 18,061
 13,285
Communication8,028
 8,713
 7,254
 9,137
 7,652
 7,814
 8,423
 9,882
10,645
 10,240
 10,782
 11,557
 8,028
 8,713
 7,254
 9,137
Rent and occupancy3,985
 3,668
 3,387
 3,783
 4,001
 3,875
 4,038
 3,796
4,319
 4,270
 4,003
 4,314
 3,985
 3,668
 3,387
 3,783
Depreciation and amortization4,666
 4,841
 5,041
 5,215
 6,020
 6,184
 6,085
 6,070
5,092
 4,776
 4,525
 4,929
 4,666
 4,841
 5,041
 5,215
Other operating expenses12,032
 10,140
 11,046
 10,885
 7,023
 10,513
 11,279
 10,651
13,030
 10,602
 11,628
 12,184
 12,032
 10,140
 11,046
 10,885
Total operating expenses150,498
 146,759
 152,016
 153,301
 148,190
 154,496
 155,700
 153,988
183,147
 173,486
 163,369
 169,569
 150,498
 146,759
 152,016
 153,301
Income from operations55,176
 54,251
 48,316
 53,257
 7,068
 67,488
 72,756
 70,894
32,214
 44,117
 55,315
 53,614
 57,910
 54,251
 48,316
 53,257
Other income and (expense):                              
Gain on sale of subsidiaries
 307
 1,322
 46,845
 
 
 
 
26,575
 
 
 
 
 307
 1,322
 46,845
Interest expense, net(28,379) (25,899) (22,506) (21,257) (21,026) (19,310) (20,569) (19,959)(33,549) (30,624) (31,124) (25,781) (28,379) (25,899) (22,506) (21,257)
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)317
 (1,084) (2,516) 2,179
 (2,619) 5,004
 2,029
 (1,850)
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain(4,553) 626
 1,690
 1,293
 317
 (1,084) (2,516) 2,179
Other(2,790) 
 
 
 (5,823) 
 
 
(381) 222
 (400) 243
 (2,790) 
 
 
Income/(loss) before income taxes24,324
 27,575
 24,616
 81,024
 (22,400) 53,182
 54,216
 49,085
Income before income taxes20,306
 14,341
 25,481
 29,369
 27,058
 27,575
 24,616
 81,024
Income tax expense/(benefit)(64,393) 10,682
 10,766
 31,409
 (7,053) 16,664
 17,348
 16,232
1,980
 1,789
 3,857
 6,137
 (63,709) 10,682
 10,766
 31,409
Net income/(loss)88,717
 16,893
 13,850
 49,615
 (15,347) 36,518
 36,868
 32,853
Net income18,326
 12,552
 21,624
 23,232
 90,767
 16,893
 13,850
 49,615
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests1,847
 1,338
 2,177
 1,448
 2,301
 2,212
 412
 870
3,384
 2,625
 2,036
 2,126
 1,847
 1,338
 2,177
 1,448
Net income/(loss) attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$86,870
 $15,555
 $11,673
 $48,167
 $(17,648) $34,306
 $36,456
 $31,983
Net income/(loss) per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:               
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$14,942
 $9,927
 $19,588
 $21,106
 $88,920
 $15,555
 $11,673
 $48,167
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:               
Basic$1.92
 $0.34
 $0.25
 $1.04
 $(0.38) $0.74
 $0.79
 $0.69
$0.33
 $0.22
 $0.43
 $0.47
 $1.97
 $0.34
 $0.25
 $1.04
Diluted$1.92
 $0.34
 $0.25
 $1.03
 $(0.38) $0.74
 $0.79
 $0.69
$0.33
 $0.22
 $0.43
 $0.47
 $1.96
 $0.34
 $0.25
 $1.03
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:                              
Basic45,170
 45,168
 45,941
 46,406
 46,346
 46,343
 46,333
 46,243
45,304
 45,302
 45,283
 45,231
 45,170
 45,168
 45,941
 46,406
Diluted45,318
 45,286
 46,060
 46,627
 46,346
 46,434
 46,402
 46,372
45,394
 45,440
 45,449
 45,370
 45,318
 45,286
 46,060
 46,627


Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Quarterly Balance Sheet Data
Amounts in thousands
Dec 31, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 Mar 31, 2017 Dec 31, 2016 Sep 30, 2016 Jun 30, 2016 Mar 31, 2016Dec 31, 2018 Sep 30, 2018 Jun 30, 2018 Mar 31, 2018 Dec 31, 2017 Sep 30, 2017 Jun 30, 2017 Mar 31, 2017
Assets                              
Cash and cash equivalents$120,516
 $113,754
 $92,756
 $82,110
 $94,287
 $91,791
 $117,071
 $79,442
$98,695
 $114,176
 $71,570
 $101,418
 $120,516
 $113,754
 $92,756
 $82,110
Investments78,290
 75,512
 76,438
 74,055
 68,543
 67,050
 66,560
 71,413
45,173
 21,750
 80,541
 87,764
 78,290
 75,512
 76,438
 74,055
Finance receivables, net2,771,921
 2,577,831
 2,520,883
 2,366,880
 2,307,969
 2,392,408
 2,399,949
 2,377,077
3,084,777
 2,823,622
 2,734,673
 2,771,408
 2,776,199
 2,579,375
 2,522,427
 2,368,424
Other receivables, net15,770
 10,919
 11,306
 17,684
 11,650
 24,299
 30,079
 33,555
46,157
 9,067
 14,688
 14,308
 15,770
 10,919
 11,306
 17,684
Income taxes receivable21,686
 3,877
 2,865
 
 9,427
 10,673
 13,871
 
16,809
 8,912
 12,163
 10,271
 21,686
 3,877
 2,865
 
Net deferred tax asset57,529
 41,183
 37,299
 29,090
 28,482
 19,453
 15,713
 15,571
61,453
 63,724
 60,944
 59,377
 56,459
 40,797
 36,913
 28,704
Property and equipment, net49,311
 36,428
 36,532
 38,024
 38,744
 44,354
 46,852
 47,785
54,136
 55,010
 53,364
 53,788
 49,311
 36,428
 36,532
 38,024
Goodwill526,513
 538,337
 516,165
 506,240
 499,911
 560,505
 544,337
 524,870
464,116
 519,045
 519,811
 544,293
 526,513
 538,337
 516,165
 506,240
Intangible assets, net23,572
 25,527
 25,878
 27,393
 27,935
 31,539
 32,655
 32,154
5,522
 17,369
 18,914
 22,523
 23,572
 25,527
 25,878
 27,393
Other assets32,656
 37,409
 40,489
 32,373
 33,808
 37,275
 38,509
 86,966
32,721
 27,296
 31,650
 37,639
 32,656
 37,409
 40,489
 32,373
Assets held for sale
 
 
 
 43,243
 
 
 
Total assets$3,697,764
 $3,460,777
 $3,360,611
 $3,173,849
 $3,163,999
 $3,279,347
 $3,305,596
 $3,268,833
$3,909,559
 $3,659,971
 $3,598,318
 $3,702,789
 $3,700,972
 $3,461,935
 $3,361,769
 $3,175,007
Liabilities and Equity                              
Liabilities:                              
Accounts payable$4,992
 $3,605
 $3,694
 $3,924
 $2,459
 $2,808
 $3,719
 $2,377
$6,110
 $3,773
 $5,090
 $2,330
 $4,992
 $3,605
 $3,694
 $3,924
Accrued expenses85,993
 82,445
 77,869
 82,594
 82,699
 86,531
 79,202
 95,049
79,396
 81,445
 78,852
 85,137
 85,993
 82,445
 77,869
 82,594
Income taxes payable10,771
 4,069
 19,793
 37,960
 19,631
 20,242
 20,888
 28,114
15,080
 13,408
 466
 23,872
 10,771
 4,069
 19,793
 37,960
Net deferred tax liability171,185
 237,044
 250,821
 259,330
 258,344
 271,152
 276,360
 269,201
114,979
 120,990
 140,224
 146,410
 171,185
 237,044
 250,821
 259,330
Interest-bearing deposits98,580
 96,395
 92,479
 78,792
 76,113
 88,719
 58,041
 55,349
82,666
 79,282
 82,613
 90,769
 98,580
 96,395
 92,479
 78,792
Borrowings2,170,182
 1,963,504
 1,899,148
 1,708,687
 1,784,101
 1,816,600
 1,912,283
 1,896,424
2,473,656
 2,194,687
 2,133,997
 2,150,873
 2,170,182
 1,963,504
 1,899,148
 1,708,687
Other liabilities9,018
 1,213
 3,094
 13,344
 10,821
 5,317
 19,922
 13,577
7,370
 8,474
 8,061
 15,146
 9,018
 1,213
 3,094
 13,344
Liabilities held for sale
 
 
 
 4,220
 
 
 
Total liabilities2,550,721
 2,388,275
 2,346,898
 2,184,631
 2,238,388
 2,291,369
 2,370,415
 2,360,091
2,779,257
 2,502,059
 2,449,303
 2,514,537
 2,550,721
 2,388,275
 2,346,898
 2,184,631
Redeemable noncontrolling interest9,534
 8,620
 8,860
 8,515
 8,448
 
 
 
6,333
 6,955
 8,322
 9,697
 9,534
 8,620
 8,860
 8,515
Equity:                              
Preferred stock
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Common stock452
 452
 452
 464
 464
 463
 463
 463
453
 453
 453
 453
 452
 452
 452
 464
Additional paid-in capital53,870
 52,049
 49,928
 66,293
 66,414
 70,112
 66,838
 64,287
60,303
 58,713
 56,410
 54,271
 53,870
 52,049
 49,928
 66,293
Retained earnings1,211,632
 1,124,762
 1,109,207
 1,097,534
 1,049,367
 1,067,015
 1,032,709
 996,253
1,276,473
 1,261,531
 1,251,604
 1,232,016
 1,214,840
 1,125,920
 1,110,365
 1,098,692
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(178,607) (166,397) (204,213) (233,476) (251,944) (199,888) (213,933) (196,135)(242,109) (213,078) (209,167) (155,687) (178,607) (166,397) (204,213) (233,476)
Total stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc.1,087,347
 1,010,866
 955,374
 930,815
 864,301
 937,702
 886,077
 864,868
1,095,120
 1,107,619
 1,099,300
 1,131,053
 1,090,555
 1,012,024
 956,532
 931,973
Noncontrolling interest50,162
 53,016
 49,479
 49,888
 52,862
 50,276
 49,104
 43,874
Noncontrolling interests28,849
 43,338
 41,393
 47,502
 50,162
 53,016
 49,479
 49,888
Total equity1,137,509
 1,063,882
 1,004,853
 980,703
 917,163
 987,978
 935,181
 908,742
1,123,969
 1,150,957
 1,140,693
 1,178,555
 1,140,717
 1,065,040
 1,006,011
 981,861
Total liabilities and equity$3,697,764
 $3,460,777
 $3,360,611
 $3,173,849
 $3,163,999
 $3,279,347
 $3,305,596
 $3,268,833
$3,909,559
 $3,659,971
 $3,598,318
 $3,702,789
 $3,700,972
 $3,461,935
 $3,361,769
 $3,175,007


Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Overview
We are a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas and Europe. Our primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. As discussed in
Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current period presentation. In addition, certain prior year amounts have been revised to correct immaterial errors. For additional information on the correction of the immaterial errors see Note 17 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 17"), we sold our government services businesses in January 2017 and Portfolio Location Services, LLC ("PLS") in June 2017.
On April 26, 2016, we completed our public tender offer to purchase 100% of the shares of DTP, a Polish-based debt collection company, for approximately $44.9 million.
On August 3, 2015, we acquired 55% of the equity interest in RCB. The remaining 45% of the equity interest in RCB is owned by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. RCB is a leading master servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil. Our investment for the 55% ownership of RCB was approximately $55.2 million. As part of the investment and call option agreements, we have the right to purchase the remaining 45% of RCB at certain multiples of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") beginning August 3, 2019 and ending August 3, 2021.10-K.
Frequently Used Terms
We use the following terminology throughout this document:
"Amortization rate" refers to cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables as a percentage of total cash collections.
"Buybacks" refers to purchase price refunded by the seller due to the return of ineligible accounts.
"Cash collections" refers to collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios.
"Cash receipts" refers to collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios plus fee income.
"Core" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios that are nonperforming loans and are not in an insolvent status upon purchase. These accounts are aggregated separately from insolvency accounts.
"Estimated remaining collections" or "ERC" refers to the sum of all future projected cash collections on our owned finance receivables portfolios.
"Insolvency" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios of receivables that are in an insolvent status when we purchase them and as such are purchased as a pool of insolvent accounts. These include Individual Voluntary Arrangements ("IVAs"), Trust Deeds in the UK, Consumer Proposals in Canada and bankruptcy accounts in the U.S., Canada, Germany and the UK.
"Principal amortization" refers to cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables.
"Purchase price" refers to the cash paid to a seller to acquire nonperforming loans, plus certain capitalized costs, less buybacks.
"Purchase price multiple" refers to the total estimated collections (as defined below) on owned finance receivables portfolios divided by purchase price.
"Total estimated collections" or "TEC" refers to actual cash collections, including cash sales, plus estimated remaining collections on our finance receivables portfolios.

Unless otherwise specified, references to 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 are to the years ended December 31, 2018, December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, and December 31, 2015, respectively.








Results of Operations
The results of operations include the financial results of PRA Group and all of our subsidiaries, which are in the receivables management business. Under the guidance of the FASB ASC Topic 280 "Segment Reporting" ("ASC 280"), we have determined that we have several operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of ASC 280, and therefore, we have one reportable segment, accounts receivables management, based on similarities among the operating units, including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or class of customer for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment.
The following table sets forth certain operating data as a percentage of total revenues for the years indicated (dollars in thousands):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Revenues:                      
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$780,803
 96.0 % $745,119
 89.7 % $865,122
 91.8 %
Income recognized on finance receivables$891,899
 98.2 % $795,435
 96.0 % $845,142
 90.8 %
Fee income24,916
 3.1
 77,381
 9.3
 64,383
 6.8
14,916
 1.6
 24,916
 3.0
 77,381
 8.3
Other revenue7,855
 0.9
 8,080
 1.0
 12,513
 1.4
1,441
 0.2
 7,855
 0.9
 8,080
 0.9
Total revenues813,574
 100.0
 830,580
 100.0
 942,018
 100.0
908,256
 100.0
 828,206
 100.0
 930,603
 100.0
           
Net allowance charges(33,425) (3.7) (11,898) (1.4) (98,479) (10.6)
           
Operating expenses:                      
Compensation and employee services273,033
 33.6
 258,846
 31.2
 268,345
 28.5
319,400
 35.2
 273,033
 33.0
 258,846
 27.8
Legal collection expenses119,398
 14.7
 132,202
 15.9
 129,456
 13.8
Legal collection fees42,941
 4.7
 43,351
 5.2
 47,717
 5.1
Legal collection costs104,988
 11.6
 76,047
 9.2
 84,485
 9.1
Agency fees35,530
 4.4
 44,922
 5.4
 32,188
 3.4
33,854
 3.7
 35,530
 4.3
 44,922
 4.8
Outside fees and services62,792
 7.7
 63,098
 7.6
 65,155
 6.9
61,492
 6.8
 62,792
 7.6
 63,098
 6.8
Communication33,132
 4.1
 33,771
 4.1
 33,113
 3.5
43,224
 4.8
 33,132
 4.0
 33,771
 3.6
Rent and occupancy14,823
 1.8
 15,710
 1.9
 14,714
 1.6
16,906
 1.9
 14,823
 1.8
 15,710
 1.7
Depreciation and amortization19,763
 2.4
 24,359
 2.9
 19,874
 2.1
19,322
 2.1
 19,763
 2.4
 24,359
 2.6
Other operating expenses44,103
 5.4
 39,466
 4.8
 68,829
 7.3
47,444
 5.1
 44,103
 5.3
 39,466
 4.3
Total operating expenses602,574
 74.1
 612,374
 73.8
 631,674
 67.1
689,571
 75.9
 602,574
 72.8
 612,374
 65.8
Income from operations211,000
 25.9
 218,206
 26.2
 310,344
 32.9
185,260
 20.4
 213,734
 25.8
 219,750
 23.6
Other income and (expense):                      
Gain on sale of subsidiaries26,575
 2.9
 48,474
 5.9
 
 
Interest expense, net(98,041) (12.1) (80,864) (9.7) (60,336) (6.4)(121,078) (13.3) (98,041) (11.8) (80,864) (8.7)
Gain on sale of subsidiaries48,474
 6.0
 
 
 
 
Foreign exchange gain/(loss)(1,104) (0.1) 2,564
 0.3
 7,514
 0.8
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain(944) (0.1) (1,104) (0.1) 2,564
 0.3
Other(2,790) (0.3) (5,823) (0.7) 
 
(316) (0.1) (2,790) (0.3) (5,823) (0.6)
Income before income taxes157,539
 19.4
 134,083
 16.1
 257,522
 27.3
89,497
 9.8
 160,273
 19.4
 135,627
 14.6
Income tax expense/(benefit)(11,536) (1.4) 43,191
 5.2
 89,391
 9.5
13,763
 1.5
 (10,852) (1.3) 43,577
 4.7
Net income169,075
 20.8
 90,892
 10.9
 168,131
 17.8
75,734
 8.3
 171,125
 20.7
 92,050
 9.9
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests6,810
 0.9
 5,795
 0.7
 205
 
10,171
 1.1
 6,810
 0.8
 5,795
 0.6
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$162,265
 19.9 % $85,097
 10.2 % $167,926
 17.8 %$65,563
 7.2 % $164,315
 19.9 % $86,255
 9.3 %


Cash Collections
Cash collections were as follows for the periods indicated:
 Year Ended December 31, Variances
(Amounts in millions)2018 2017 2016 2018 vs. 2017 2017 vs. 2016
   Americas-Core$945.2
 $860.9
 $837.2
 $84.3
 $23.7
   Americas-Insolvency207.8
 222.5
 249.8
 (14.7) (27.3)
   Europe-Core443.4
 407.0
 390.5
 36.4
 16.5
   Europe-Insolvency28.8
 22.2
 14.5
 6.6
 7.7
Total cash collections$1,625.2
 $1,512.6
 $1,492.0
 $112.6
 $20.6
          
Cash collections adjusted (1)
$1,625.2
 $1,518.7
 $1,493.8
 $106.5
 $18.8
Cash collections on fully amortized pools54.0
 57.6
 34.2
 (3.6) 23.4
Cash collections on pools on cost recovery35.8
 37.7
 29.1
 (1.9) 8.6
Net finance receivables on cost recovery at year-end48.0
 166.6
 105.5
 (118.6) 61.1
(1) Cash collections adjusted refers to 2017 cash collections remeasured using 2018 exchange rates and 2016 cash collections remeasured using 2017 exchange rates.
Cash collections were $1,625.2 million in 2018, an increase of $112.6 million or 7.4%, compared to $1,512.6 million in 2017. The increase was largely due to U.S. call center collections increasing 15.7%, due primarily to record U.S. Core portfolio purchasing in 2018 and 2017, and U.S. legal collections increasing 8.0%. Additionally, Europe Core and Europe Insolvency cash collections increased 8.9% and 29.7%, respectively. The increase in Europe Core cash collections was primarily the result of elevated portfolio purchasing in the fourth quarter of 2017 and 2018. These increases were partially offset by a 6.6% decline in Americas Insolvency cash collections caused mainly by a decline in Americas Insolvency portfolio buying in 2018 and the continued runoff of our older portfolios.
Cash collections were $1,512.6 million in 2017, an increase of $20.6 million or 1.4%, compared to $1,492.0 million in 2016. The increase was largely due to U.S. call center collections increasing 5.8%, due primarily to increased staffing in our U.S. call centers in 2017. Additionally, Europe Core and Europe Insolvency cash collections increased 4.2% and 53.1%, respectively. The increase in Europe Core cash collections was primarily the result of elevated portfolio purchasing during 2015-2017. These increases were partially offset by a 10.9% decline in Americas Insolvency cash collections caused mainly by a decline in Americas Insolvency portfolio purchasing during 2014-2016.
Revenues
Total revenues were $813.6$908.3 million in 2018, $828.2 million in 2017, $830.6and $930.6 million in 2016, and $942.0 million in 2015.2016.
A summary of how our revenues were generated during the years indicated is as follows (amounts in thousands):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Cash collections$1,512,605
 $1,491,986
 $1,539,495
$1,625,205
 $1,512,605
 $1,491,986
Amortization of investment(719,904) (648,388) (645,004)
Net allowance charges(11,898) (98,479) (29,369)
Income recognized on finance receivables, net780,803
 745,119
 865,122
Principal amortization(733,306) (717,170) (646,844)
Income recognized on finance receivables891,899
 795,435
 845,142
Fee income24,916
 77,381
 64,383
14,916
 24,916
 77,381
Other revenue7,855
 8,080
 12,513
1,441
 7,855
 8,080
Total revenues$813,574
 $830,580
 $942,018
$908,256
 $828,206
 $930,603
Income Recognized on Finance Receivables
We have revised the presentation of our consolidated income statements for all reporting periods by reclassifying net allowance charges on our finance receivables as a line item separate from revenues. As a result, we no longer include net allowance charges as part of "Income recognized on finance receivables, net" on the face of the income statement and report income recognized on finance receivables gross of valuation allowances.
Income recognized on finance receivables net, was $780.8$891.9 million in 2017,2018, an increase of $35.7$96.5 million or 4.8%12.1% compared to income recognized on finance receivables net, of $745.1$795.4 million in 2017. The increase was primarily the result of overperformance on select Americas Core and Europe Core portfolios which resulted in several yield increases on certain pools and the impact of


record Americas Core buying in 2017 and 2018. This was partially offset by a decline in our Americas Insolvency revenue caused mainly by a decline in Americas Insolvency portfolio buying in 2018 and the continued runoff of our older portfolios.
Income recognized on finance receivables was $795.4 million in 2017, a decrease of $49.7 million or 5.9% compared to income recognized on finance receivables of $845.1 million in 2016. The increasedecrease was primarily due to a decrease in net allowance charges on our finance receivables to $11.9 million in 2017 compared to $98.5 million in 2016, a decrease of $86.6 million or 87.9%. This was partially offset by a decrease in income generated by our Americas Core portfolios excluding net allowances, and our Americas Insolvency portfolios. Elevated allowance charges incurred during 2016, mainly on pools acquired during 2012 to 2014, reduced the income-earning principal balances of our Americas Core portfolios. Income generated by our Americas Insolvency portfolios declined due primarily to lower volumes of purchasing during 2014 to 2016.
Income recognized on finance receivables, net, was $745.1 million in 2016, a decrease of $120.0 million or 13.9% compared to income recognized on finance receivables, net, of $865.1 million in 2015. The decrease was primarily due to an increase in net allowance charges on our finance receivables to $98.5 million in 2016 compared to $29.4 million in 2015, an increase of $69.1 million or 235.0%. Additionally, income generated by our Americas Insolvency portfolios declined due primarily to lower volumes of purchasing during 2014 to 2016.
Accretable yield represents the amount of income recognized on finance receivables we can expect to generate over the remaining life of our existing portfolios based on estimated future cash flows as of the balance sheet date. Additions from portfolio purchases represent the original expected accretable yield to be earned by us, on portfolios purchased during the period. Net reclassifications from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield primarily result from an increase in our estimate of future cash flows. Increases in future cash flows may occur as portfolios age and actual cash collections exceed those originally expected. If those cash flows are determined to be incremental to the portfolio's original forecast, future projections of cash flows are generally increased resulting in higher expected revenue and hence, increases in accretable yield. During 2018, we reclassified $195.0 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts relating mainly to certain Americas and European Core pools. During 2017, we reclassified $149.5 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts relating mainly to certain Americas Core pools, Americas Insolvency pools and European Core pools. During 2016, we reclassified $41.1 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts related to portfolios in Europe partially offset by reductions in cash collection forecasts on our domestic portfolios. During 2015, we reclassified $502.7 million from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield due primarily to increased cash collection forecasts related to domestic portfolios primarily acquired from 2011-2014. When applicable, net reclassifications to nonaccretable difference from accretable yield result from a decrease in our estimates of future cash flows and allowance charges that together exceed the increase in our estimate of future cash flows.
Fee Income recognized
Fee income was $14.9 million in 2018, a decrease of $10.0 million or 40.2% compared to fee income of $24.9 million in 2017. Fee income was $24.9 million in 2017, a decrease of $52.5 million or 67.8% compared to fee income of $77.4 million in 2016.The decreases in 2018 and 2017 were primarily due to the sale of our government services businesses and the sale of PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS") in 2017.
Other Revenue
Other revenue was $1.4 million in 2018, $7.9 million in 2017, and $8.1 million in 2016. The decrease is primarily due to a decrease in revenue earned on finance receivables, net, is shown net of changes in valuation allowances whichour investments.
Net Allowance Charges
Net allowance charges are recorded for significant decreases in expected cash flows or a change in timing of cash flows which would otherwise require a reduction in the stated yield on a pool of accounts. In 2018, we recorded net allowance charges of $33.4 million consisting of $31.0 million on our Americas Core portfolios, primarily on vintages impacted most by the Consent Order and purchased between 2013-2015, $0.4 million on our Americas Insolvency portfolios, and $2.0 million on our European portfolios. In 2017, we recorded net allowance charges of $11.9 million consisting of $7.4 million on our Americas Core portfolios, $1.5 million on our Americas Insolvency portfolios, and $3.0 million on our European portfolios. In 2016, we recorded net allowance charges of $98.5 million consisting of $89.1 million on our Americas Core portfolios, $0.4 million on our Americas Insolvency portfolios, and $9.0 million on our European portfolios. During 2016, we made downward adjustments to projections of future cash collections and we adjusted amortization periods for many of our Americas Core portfolios. This was done in response to recent trends of cash collections being lower than expected. We attributed this under-performance to a variety of regulatory and operational factors that we believe adversely impacted our collection efforts and therefore cash collected. In 2015, we recorded net allowance charges
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $689.6 million in 2018, $602.6 million in 2017, and $612.4 million in 2016.
Compensation and Employee Services
Compensation and employee service expenses were $319.4 million in 2018, an increase of $29.4 million. On$46.4 million or 17.0% compared to compensation and employee service expenses of $273.0 million in 2017. Compensation expense increased primarily as a result of larger average staff sizes due mainly to the expansion of our Americas Core portfolios, we recorded net allowance charges of $21.9 million and net allowance reversals of $1.5 million on our Americas Insolvency portfolios. We also recordeddomestic collector workforce, partially offset by a net allowance charge of $7.6 million on our Europe Core portfolios.decrease resulting


Fee Income
Fee income was $24.9 million in 2017, a decrease of $52.5 million or 67.8% compared to fee income of $77.4 million in 2016. This was primarily due to a decrease in fee income resulting from the sale of our government services businesses in January 2017 and the sale of PLS in June 2017.
Fee income was $77.4 million in 2016, an increase Total full-time equivalents increased 4.3% to 5,377 as of $13.0 million or 20.2% compared to fee incomeDecember 31, 2018 from 5,154 as of $64.4 million in 2015. Fee income increased primarily due to an increase in revenues generated by PLS, PRA Government Services, LLC ("PGS"), Claims Compensation Bureau, LLC ("CCB"), Recovery Management Systems Corporation ("RMSC") and RCB. This was offset by a decrease in fee income from PRA Europe, due primarily to a decline in the amount of contingent fee services provided by us for external parties.
Other Revenue
Other revenue was $7.9 million in 2017, $8.1 million in 2016, and $12.5 million in 2015. The decrease is primarily due to a decrease in revenue earned on our investments.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $602.6 million in 2017, $612.4 million in 2016, and $631.7 million in 2015.
Compensation and Employee ServicesDecember 31, 2017.
Compensation and employee service expenses were $273.0 million in 2017, an increase of $14.2 million or 5.5% compared to compensation and employee service expenses of $258.8 million in 2016. Compensation expense increased primarily as a result of larger average staff sizes due mainly to the expansion of our domestic collector workforce, partially offset by a decrease resulting from the sale of our government services businesses in January 2017 and the sale of PLS in June 2017. In the U.S., we have hiredadded approximately 1,100 net new collectors sinceas of December 31, 2017, as compared to December 31, 2016. Total full-time equivalents increased 28.2% to 5,154 as of December 31, 2017 from 4,019 as of December 31, 2016.
Compensation and employee service expenses were $258.8 million in 2016, a decrease of $9.5 million or 3.5% compared to compensation and employee service expenses of $268.3 million in 2015. Compensation and employee services expenses decreased primarily due to a decrease in discretionary bonus and other incentive compensation expenses, including share-based compensation expenses, offset by increases in normal salary expenses caused by an increase in employee headcount. Total full-time equivalents increased 5.8% to 4,019 as of December 31, 2016 from 3,799 as of December 31, 2015.
Legal Collection ExpensesFees
Legal collection expensesfees represent costs paid to courts where a lawsuit is filed, contingent fees incurred for the cash collections generated by our independent third-party attorney network, and the cost of documents paid to sellers of nonperforming loans.network. Legal collection expensesfees were $119.4$42.9 million in 2017,2018, a decrease of $12.8$0.5 million or 9.7%1.2% compared to $132.2$43.4 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in costs paid to courts where a lawsuit is filed, mainly due to a decrease in the number of accounts brought into the legal2017.
Legal collection process in the Americas. Our costs paid to courts were $74.7 million in 2017, a decrease of $5.1 million or 6.4% compared to $79.8 million in 2016. Additionally, our costs paid to third-party attorneysfees were $43.4 million in 2017, a decrease of $4.3 million or 9.0% compared to $47.7 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in domestic external legal collections as a result of fewer accounts brought into the legal collection process in the Americas. Furthermore, ourAmericas during that time.
Legal Collection Costs
Legal collection costs primarily consist of costs paid to sellerscourts where a lawsuit is filed for the purpose of nonperforming loans for documentsattempting to collect on an account. Legal collection costs were $1.3$105.0 million in 2017, a decrease of $3.4 million or 72.3% compared to $4.7 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily the result of sellers providing more account documents to us when we purchase portfolios, mainly as a result of regulatory requirements.
Legal collection expenses were $132.2 million in 2016,2018, an increase of $2.7$29.0 million or 2.1%38.2%, compared to $129.5legal collection costs of $76.0 million in 2015.2017. The increase was primarily due to additional court costs related to the expansion of the number of accounts brought into the legal channel in Europethe U.S.  This expansion was the result of a change in the nature of the accounts purchased, the regulatory environment and consumer behavior.
Legal collection costs were $76.0 million in 2017, a decrease of $8.5 million or 10.1%, compared to legal collection costs of $84.5 million in 2016. Our costs paidThe decrease was primarily due to courts were $79.8 million in 2016, an increase of $9.0 million or 12.7% compared to $70.8 million in 2015.  This was partially offset by a decrease in the number of accounts brought into the legal collection expenses paid to third-party attorneys, primarily as a result of a decreaseprocess in domestic external legal collections. Our costs paid to third-party attorneys were $47.7 million in 2016, a decrease of $5.7 million or 10.7% compared to $53.4 million in 2015. Our costs paid to sellers of nonperforming loans for documents were $4.7 million in 2016, a decrease of $0.5 million or 9.6% compared to $5.2 million in 2015.the Americas during that time.
Agency Fees
Agency fees primarily represent third-party collection fees. Prior to the sale of PLS in June of 2017, agency fees also included costs paid to repossession agents to repossess vehicles. Agency fees were $33.9 million in 2018, compared to $35.5 million in 2017, a decrease of $1.6 million or 4.5%. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of the sale of PLS partially offset by an increase in third-party collection fees incurred by our foreign operations.
Agency fees were $35.5 million in 2017, compared to $44.9 million in


2016, a decrease of $9.4 million or 20.9%. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of the sale of PLS in addition to a decrease in third-party collection fees incurred by our foreign operations.
Agency fees were $44.9 million in 2016, compared to $32.2 million in 2015, an increase of $12.7 million or 39.4%. This increase was mainly attributable to third-party collection fees incurred by our international operations where we utilize third-party agencies.
Outside Fees and Services
Outside fees and services expenses were $61.5 million in 2018, a decrease of $1.3 million or 2.1% compared to outside fees and services expenses of $62.8 million in 2017. The decrease was primarily the result of a $4.0 million decline in corporate legal expenses, due largely to legal costs not associated with normal operations incurred during 2017. This was partially offset by a $1.0 million increase in payment processing and database fees and a $0.7 million increase in consulting fees.
Outside fees and services expenses were $62.8 million in 2017, a decrease of $0.3 million or 0.5% compared to outside fees and services expenses of $63.1 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily the result of a $2.3 million decrease in corporate legal expenses and a $0.5 million decrease in accounting and audit related expenses. This was partially offset by a $1.2 million increase in payment processing and database fees, a $1.1 million increase in consulting fees and a $0.6 million increase in credit bureau expenses. None of the remaining variance was attributable to any significant identifiable items.
Outside feesCommunication
Communication expenses primarily represent postage and servicestelephone related expenses were $63.1 million in 2016, a decrease of $2.1 million or 3.2% compared to outside fees and services expenses of $65.2 million in 2015. The decrease was primarily due to a $6.6 million decrease in corporate legal expenses during 2016, mainlyincurred as a result of increased corporate legalour collection efforts. Communication expenses incurredwere $43.2 million in 2015 as a result of outstanding litigation and regulatory matters. This was partially offset by2018, an increase of $4.1$10.1 million or 30.5% compared to communication expenses of $33.1 million in consulting fees2017. These increases are driven primarily by higher letter and call volume associated with record portfolio purchasing of Americas Core portfolios in 2017 and 2018 and additional U.S. collectors operating during 2016, as compared to the prior year period.2018.
Communication

Communication expenses were $33.1 million in 2017, a decrease of $0.7 million or 2.1% compared to communication expenses of $33.8 million in 2016. Communication
Rent and Occupancy
Rent and occupancy expenses were $33.8$16.9 million in 2016,2018, an increase of $0.7$2.1 million or 2.1%14.2% compared to communicationrent and occupancy expenses of $33.1$14.8 million in 2015. None2017. The increase was primarily due to the opening of two new call centers in the changes were attributable to any significant identifiable items.
Rent and OccupancyU.S. in the fourth quarter of 2017 as well as the expansion of our European facilities.
Rent and occupancy expenses were $14.8 million in 2017, a decrease of $0.9 million or 5.7% compared to rent and occupancy expenses of $15.7 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of the sale of our government services businesses in January 2017 and the sale of PLS in June 2017.
RentDepreciation and occupancy expenses were $15.7 million in 2016, an increase of $1.0 million or 6.8% compared to rent and occupancy expenses of $14.7 million in 2015. The increase was primarily due to additional rental expenses incurred as a result of our acquisitions of RCB, RMSC and DTP as well as the additional rent expense associated with the expansion of our headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia.Amortization
Depreciation and Amortizationamortization expense was $19.3 million in 2018, a decrease of $0.5 million or 2.5% compared to depreciation and amortization expenses of $19.8 million in 2017.
Depreciation and amortization expense was $19.8 million in 2017, a decrease of $4.6 million or 18.9% compared to depreciation and amortization expenses of $24.4 million in 2016. The decrease was primarily due to the impact of the sale of our government services businesses in January 2017.
Depreciation and amortization expense was $24.4Other Operating Expenses
Other operating expenses were $47.4 million in 2016,2018, an increase of $4.5$3.3 million or 22.6%7.5% compared to depreciation and amortizationother operating expenses of $19.9$44.1 million in 2015.2017. The increase was primarily due to a $4.4 million increase in corporate technology and software related expenses. This was partially offset by a $2.5 million decrease as a result of the amortization expense incurred on intangible assets acquiredsale of our government services businesses and the sale of PLS in connection with the acquisitions of RCB and RMSC.
Other Operating Expenses2017.
Other operating expenses were $44.1 million in 2017, an increase of $4.6 million or 11.6% compared to other operating expenses of $39.5 million in 2016. The increase was primarily due to an increase of $2.9 million in taxes, feefees and licenses, a $1.2 million increase in doubtful accountan accounts receivable allowance expense, a $0.9 million increase in hiring expenses and an $0.8 million increase in general office expenses. This was offset by a $0.9 million decrease in travel-related expenses and a $0.7 million decrease in dues and subscriptions. None
Gain on Sale of the remaining varianceSubsidiaries
Gain on sale of subsidiaries was attributable to any significant identifiable items.$26.6 million, $48.5 million, and $0.0 in 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. In 2018, we sold 79% of our interest in RCB's servicing platform which resulted in a gain of $26.6 million. In 2017, we sold our government services businesses and PLS which resulted in a combined gain of $48.5 million. No business or subsidiaries were sold in 2016.
Other operating expenses were $39.5Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net was $121.1 million in 2016, a decrease2018, an increase of $29.3$23.1 million or 42.6%23.6% compared to other operating expensesinterest expense, net of $68.8$98.0 million in 2015.2017. The decreaseincrease was primarily due to $28.8 million in expenses incurred during 2015 relating to the Consent Order entered into with the CFPB.


Interest Expense, Nethigher levels of average borrowings outstanding and higher average interest rates.
Interest expense, net was $98.0 million in 2017, an increase of $17.1 million or 21.1% compared to interest expense, net of $80.9 million in 2016. The increase was primarily due to higher levels of average borrowings outstanding, increases in interest rates, and increases in unused line fees and deferred financing costs related to our financing activities in 2017. This was partially offset by changes in interest expense (income) incurred onfair value related to our interest rate swaps and an increase in interest income.
Interest expense, net was $80.9 million in 2016, an increase of $20.6 million or 34.2% compared to interest expense, net of $60.3 million in 2015. The increase was primarily the result of higher average borrowings outstanding during 2016 compared to 2015, as well as an increase in the interest rates charged on our variable rate borrowings.

Interest expense, net consisted of the following in 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 (amounts in thousands):
Twelve Months Ended December 31, VariancesTwelve Months Ended December 31, Variances
2017 2016 2015 2017 vs. 2016 2016 vs. 20152018 2017 2016 2018 vs. 2017 2017 vs. 2016
Stated interest on debt obligations and unused line fees$71,656
 $63,475
 $46,661
 $8,181
 $16,814
$83,983
 $71,656
 $63,475
 $12,327
 $8,181
Coupon interest on convertible debt15,870
 8,625
 8,625
 7,245
 
20,700
 15,870
 8,625
 4,830
 7,245
Amortization of convertible debt discount8,583
 4,472
 4,260
 4,111
 212
11,725
 8,583
 4,472
 3,142
 4,111
Amortization of loan fees and other loan costs9,569
 8,116
 2,328
 1,453
 5,788
10,332
 9,569
 8,116
 763
 1,453
Change in fair value on interest rate swap agreements(2,025) 1,223
 538
 (3,248) 685
(2,532) (2,025) 1,223
 (507) (3,248)
Interest income(5,612) (5,047) (2,076) (565) (2,971)(3,130) (5,612) (5,047) 2,482
 (565)
Interest expense, net$98,041
 $80,864
 $60,336
 $17,177
 $20,528
$121,078
 $98,041
 $80,864
 $23,037
 $17,177
Net Foreign Currency Transaction Gain/(Loss)(Losses)/Gains
Net foreign currency transaction gain/(loss)(losses)/gains were $(0.9) million, $(1.1) million, and $2.6 million in 2018, 2017, and $7.5 million in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. In any given period, we may incur foreign currency transactionstransaction losses or gains or losses from transactions in currencies other than the functional currency.
Other Expense
Other expense was $0.3 million in 2018, compared to $2.8 million in 2017 compared toand $5.8 million in 2016 and $0 in 2015. During2016. In 2017, we incurred an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $1.7 million on one of our investments in private equity funds experienced an other-than-temporary impairment which resulted in an impairment charge of $1.7 million.funds. Additionally, during 2017 we incurred a $1.0 million expense related to a performance guarantee on a Polish investment fund. During 2016, the net portfolio collections on our investments in a closed-end Polish securitizationinvestment fund significantly underperformed expectations. As a result, in 2016 we recorded an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $5.8 million. For more information, refer to Note 3 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 3").
Income Tax Expense/(Benefit)
On December 22, 2017, the Tax ActIncome tax expense/(benefit) was signed into law by President Trump. The Tax Act makes broad$13.8 million, $(10.9) million, and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, including, but not limited to the following provisions which are most relevant to us: (1) reducing the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent; (2) requiring companies to pay a one-time transition tax on certain unrepatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries; (3) generally eliminating U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; (4) requiring a current inclusion in U.S. federal taxable income of certain earnings of controlled foreign corporations referred to as Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”); (5) creating the base erosion anti-abuse tax, a new minimum tax; (6) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and (7) increased limitations on the deductibility of executive compensation.
Upon our initial analysis of the impact of the Tax Act, we have provisionally recorded a one-time net tax benefit of $73.8$43.6 million in the year ended December 31,2018, 2017 for the corporate rate reduction. We have provisionally determined that we do not owe a transition tax, due to no accumulated taxable income from foreign operations calculated under U.S. tax accounting methods.
We are still evaluating the impact of the Tax Act on our future U.S. tax expense, but we expect that the overall impact of the Tax Act on our effective tax rate will be a decrease as compared with the application of prior U.S. tax laws.  The decrease is expected due to the reduction of the federal tax rate provision that was included in the Tax Act which we expect will outweigh any increases to tax expense with respect to the aforementioned other provisions.  For more information, refer to Note 13 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K ("Note 13").


Income tax benefit was $11.5 million in 2017, compared to income tax expense of $43.2 million in 2016.and 2016, respectively. The change was primarily attributable to a $73.8 million after-tax benefit recorded in 2017 as a result of the revaluation of our net deferred tax liability due to a reduction of future domestic federal tax rates per the Tax Act. This was partially offset withby a 17.5%44.2% decrease in income before taxes in 2018 as compared to 2017; whereas, there was an 18.2% increase in income before taxes. taxes in 2017 as compared to 2016.
The effective tax rate increased to 15.4% in 2018 compared to (6.8)% in 2017, and the 2017 effective tax rate decreased to (7.3)% in 2017 compared to 32.2%(6.8%) from 32.1% in 2016. The 2018 increase and 2017 decrease waswere primarily attributable to the aforementioned revaluation of our net deferred tax liability and provision-to-return adjustments.  Excluding the impact of the Tax Act, our effective tax rate would have been 39.5% in 2017. The increase in 2017 as compared to 2016 is primarily due to changes in the mix of taxable income between tax jurisdictions caused by gains on sales of subsidiaries and other factors; increases in the estimated blended rate for U.S state taxes which was caused by changes in the mix of earnings, dispositions of subsidiaries, and other factors; and an increase in non-deductible executive compensation including stock compensation.2017. Our effective tax rate will vary from period to period due to these types of items.
Income tax expense was $43.2 million in 2016, a decrease of $46.2 million or 51.7% compared to income tax expense of $89.4 million in 2015. The decrease was due to a decrease of 47.9% in income before taxes. The effective tax rate decreased to 32.2% in 2016 compared to 34.7% in 2015. The decrease was caused by a variety of factors, including changes in the mix of earnings, provision-to-return adjustments, and non-deductible penalties incurred during 2016, all of which caused the rate to decrease.  The impact of these factors was partially offset by tax rate changes in Europe and tax expense on a one-time intercompany transaction in 2016.




Supplemental Performance Data
Finance Receivables Portfolio Performance
The following tables show certain data related to our finance receivables portfolio.portfolios. Certain adjustments, as noted in the footnotes to these tables, have been made to reduce the impact of foreign currency fluctuations on ERC and purchase price multiples.
These tables disclose our Americas and European Core and Insolvency portfolios. The accounts represented in the Insolvencyinsolvency tables are those portfolios of accounts that were in an insolvency status at the time of purchase. This contrasts with accounts in our Core portfolios that file for bankruptcy/insolvency protection after we purchase them, which continue to be tracked in their corresponding Core portfolio. Core customers sometimes file for bankruptcy/insolvency protection subsequent to our purchase of the related Core portfolio. When this occurs, we adjust our collection practices accordingly to comply with bankruptcy/insolvency rules and procedures; however, for accounting purposes, these accounts remain in the relatedoriginal Core portfolio. Conversely, Insolvency accounts may be dismissed voluntarily or involuntarily subsequent to our purchase of the related Insolvency portfolio. Dismissal occurs when the terms of the bankruptcy are not met by the petitioner. When this occurs, we are typically free to pursue collection outside of bankruptcy procedures; however, for accounting purposes, these accounts remain in the relatedoriginal Insolvency pool.
Purchase price multiples can vary over time due to a variety of factors, including pricing competition, supply levels, age of the receivables purchased, and changes in our operational efficiency. For example, increased pricing competition during the 2005 to 2008 period negatively impacted purchase price multiples of our Core portfolio compared to prior years. Conversely, during the 2009 to 2011 period, pricing disruptionsadditional supply occurred as a result of the economic downturn. This created unique and advantageous purchasing opportunities, particularly within the Insolvency market, relative to the prior four years. Purchase price multiples can also vary among types of finance receivables. For example, we generally incur lower collection costs on our Insolvency portfolio compared with our Core portfolio. This allows us, in general, to pay more for an Insolvency portfolio and experience lower purchase price multiples, while generating similar net income margins when compared with a Core portfolio.
When competition increases and/or supply decreases, pricing often becomes negatively impacted relative to expected collections, and yields tend to trend lower. The opposite tends to occur when competition decreases and/or supply increases.
Within a given portfolio type, to the extent that lower purchase price multiples are the result of more competitive pricing and lower net yields, this will generally lead to higher amortization rates and lower profitability. As portfolio pricing becomes more favorable on a relative basis, our profitability will tend to increase. Profitability within given Core portfolio types may also be impacted by the age and quality of the receivables, which impact the cost to collect those accounts. Fresher accounts, for example, typically carry lower associated collection expenses, while older accounts and lower balance accounts typically carry higher costs and, as a result, require higher purchase price multiples to achieve the same net profitability as fresher paper.
Revenue recognition under Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards CodificationASC 310-30 "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30") is driven by estimates of totalthe amount and timing of collections as well as the timing of those collections. We record new portfolio purchases based on our best estimate of the cash flows expected at acquisition, which reflects the uncertainties inherent in the purchase of nonperforming loans and the results of our underwriting process. Subsequent to the initial booking, as we gain collection experience and confidence with a pool of accounts, we regularly update ERC. As a result, our estimate of total collections has often increased as pools have aged. These processes have tended to cause the ratio of ERC to purchase price for any given year of buying to gradually increase over time. Thus, all factors being equal in terms of pricing, one would typically tend to see a higher collection to purchase price ratio from a pool of accounts that was six years from purchase than a pool that was just two years from purchase.
We hold a beneficial interest in certain pools of finance receivables in Europe. Revenue recognition is under ASC Topic 310-20, "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs" where we compute a life-to-date yield on a retrospective basis and apply it to the ERC of the portfolio. Revenue on these pools is included in income recognized on finance receivables. In addition, these portfolios are included in the following tables as they perform economically similar to nonperforming loans accounted for under ASC 310-30.
The numbers presented in the following tables represent gross cash collections and do not reflect any costs to collect; therefore, they may not represent relative profitability. Due to all the factors described above, readers should be cautious when making comparisons of purchase price multiples among periods and between types of receivables.
We hold a majority interest in a closed-end Polish investment fund that purchases and services nonperforming loans. Our investment in this fund iswas previously classified in our Consolidated Balance Sheets as "Investments" and as such is not included inpreviously excluded from the following tables. The equivalent of the estimated remaining collectionsEffective July 1, 2018, we assumed servicing responsibilities for approximately 50% of the portfolios held by the closed-end Polish investment fund expectedwhich led to be received by us, is $80.2 millionan accounting reconsideration event and the consolidation of this investment. The finance receivables recorded at December 31, 2017.the consolidation date and the related portfolio performance information are included in the Supplemental Performance Data section in the Europe-Core 2018 line unless otherwise indicated.



Purchase Price Multiples
as of December 31, 2017
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Price Multiples
as of December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Price Multiples
as of December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Net Finance Receivables Balance (3)
ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates (4)
Total Estimated Collections (5)
ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates (6)
Current Estimated Purchase Price Multiple
Original Estimated Purchase Price Multiple (7)
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Net Finance Receivables (3)
ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates (4)
Total Estimated Collections (5)
ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates (6)
Current Estimated Purchase Price Multiple
Original Estimated Purchase Price Multiple (7)
Americas-Core    
1996-2007$638,461
$7,219
$33,725
$2,047,118
$33,725
321%240%
2008166,443
4,388
15,250
374,591
15,250
225%220%
1996-2008$804,883
$9,108
$35,385
$2,423,212
$35,385
301%236%
2009125,155
1,061
31,648
460,268
31,648
368%252%125,153
653
22,518
459,318
22,518
367%252%
2010148,205
3,511
51,797
538,470
51,797
363%247%148,199
4,644
37,181
534,994
37,181
361%247%
2011209,641
13,204
71,734
724,082
71,734
345%245%209,607
10,434
64,203
738,173
64,203
352%245%
2012254,321
25,362
104,895
678,874
104,895
267%226%254,142
19,643
79,446
681,221
79,446
268%226%
2013391,380
77,559
228,470
971,627
228,470
248%211%391,031
50,555
143,328
942,934
143,328
241%211%
2014405,672
128,029
343,236
980,416
340,320
242%204%405,459
81,050
210,315
930,676
206,685
230%204%
2015444,699
192,170
422,657
951,477
424,503
214%205%444,063
134,024
310,233
965,382
310,059
217%205%
2016455,882
283,245
599,155
987,174
604,147
217%201%454,552
196,236
458,039
1,041,655
452,225
229%201%
2017536,889
498,896
931,168
1,038,636
930,246
193%193%534,410
371,366
724,197
1,112,042
720,535
208%193%
2018658,490
630,508
1,204,192
1,327,453
1,201,445
202%
Subtotal3,776,748
1,234,644
2,833,735
9,752,733
2,836,735
 4,429,989
1,508,221
3,289,037
11,157,060
3,273,010
 
Americas-InsolvencyAmericas-Insolvency  Americas-Insolvency  
2004-2007132,917

669
197,234
669
148%148%
2008108,550

582
168,656
582
155%163%
1996-2008241,465

658
365,653
658
151%155%
2009155,996

2,305
470,951
2,305
302%214%155,988

1,232
470,626
1,232
302%214%
2010208,962

3,642
547,318
3,642
262%184%208,942

2,191
547,219
2,191
262%184%
2011180,477

1,328
368,130
1,328
204%155%180,434

434
368,821
434
204%155%
2012251,459

2,971
388,242
2,971
154%136%251,419

356
389,910
356
155%136%
2013227,909
7,700
25,508
353,478
25,508
155%133%227,904

5,820
355,738
5,820
156%133%
2014148,727
26,834
40,295
210,136
40,249
141%124%148,712
7,493
16,938
215,568
16,896
145%124%
201563,214
32,239
40,821
82,251
40,821
130%125%63,184
16,234
22,790
83,989
22,790
133%125%
201692,381
52,221
62,163
111,592
62,530
121%123%92,285
30,580
39,669
114,088
39,516
124%123%
2017278,066
238,178
297,770
346,861
297,770
125%125%275,293
155,609
200,144
346,550
200,144
126%125%
201899,386
95,194
119,444
126,142
119,444
127%
Subtotal1,848,658
357,172
478,054
3,244,849
478,375
 1,945,012
305,110
409,676
3,384,304
409,481
 
Total Americas5,625,406
1,591,816
3,311,789
12,997,582
3,315,110
 6,375,001
1,813,331
3,698,713
14,541,364
3,682,491
 
Europe-Core      
201220,428

2,762
38,159
2,291
187%187%20,424

1,387
39,210
1,086
192%187%
201320,362
558
1,810
23,557
1,473
116%119%20,347
100
831
24,227
639
119%
2014797,672
328,018
1,072,708
2,094,303
971,396
263%208%796,899
240,603
921,669
2,173,128
791,947
273%208%
2015422,610
244,024
485,692
731,464
461,521
173%160%420,956
189,588
421,252
751,455
377,175
179%160%
2016348,864
287,117
467,051
585,199
492,745
168%167%348,436
225,044
395,574
582,324
394,089
167%
2017250,596
242,800
343,106
360,511
350,842
144%144%247,757
188,893
284,707
357,298
276,223
144%
2018 (8)
346,933
325,907
488,989
513,635
484,567
148%
Subtotal1,860,532
1,102,517
2,373,129
3,833,193
2,280,268
 2,201,752
1,170,135
2,514,409
4,441,277
2,325,726
 
Europe-InsolvencyEurope-Insolvency  Europe-Insolvency  
201410,876
2,149
5,716
18,291
5,444
168%129%10,876
985
2,656
18,010
2,389
166%129%
201519,409
8,219
15,323
28,808
13,950
148%139%19,396
5,059
10,245
29,042
8,805
150%139%
201642,216
28,163
38,516
57,666
39,948
137%130%42,190
19,002
29,476
61,117
28,993
145%130%
201738,841
39,057
48,496
49,716
49,530
128%128%38,830
31,688
41,590
50,661
40,206
130%128%
201845,636
44,577
55,360
56,029
54,569
123%
Subtotal111,342
77,588
108,051
154,481
108,872
 156,928
101,311
139,327
214,859
134,962
 
Total Europe1,971,874
1,180,105
2,481,180
3,987,674
2,389,140
 2,358,680
1,271,446
2,653,736
4,656,136
2,460,688
 
Total PRA Group$7,597,280
$2,771,921
$5,792,969
$16,985,256
$5,704,250
 $8,733,681
$3,084,777
$6,352,449
$19,197,500
$6,143,179
 
(1)The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includes the acquisition date finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(2)For our international amounts, Purchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the pool was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(3)For our international amounts, Net Finance Receivables are presented at the December 31, 20172018 exchange rate.
(4)For our international amounts, ERC-Historical Period Exchange Rates is presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(5)For our international amounts, TEC is presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(6)For our international amounts, ERC-Current Period Exchange Rates is presented at the December 31, 20172018 exchange rate.
(7)The Original Purchase Price Multiple represents the purchase price multiple at the end of the year of acquisition.
(8)The Europe-Core purchases include a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.


Portfolio Financial Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2017
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Financial Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Financial Information
For the Year Ended December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Cash
Collections
(3)
Gross Revenue (3)
Amortization (3)
Allowance (3)
Net Revenue (3)
Net Finance Receivables Balance as of December 31, 2017(4)
Purchase Price (1)(2)
Cash
Collections
 (3)
Gross Revenue (3)
Amortization (3)
Net Allowance Charges/(Reversals) (3)
Net Revenue (3)(4)
Net Finance Receivables as of December 31, 2018 (5)
Americas-Core  
1996-2007$638,461
$13,427
$9,788
$3,639
$332
$9,456
$7,219
2008166,443
6,031
3,330
2,701
252
3,078
4,388
1996-2008$804,883
$15,092
$10,645
$4,447
$(1,970)$12,615
$9,108
2009125,155
10,994
9,242
1,752
200
9,042
1,061
125,153
8,180
7,899
281
125
7,774
653
2010148,205
15,587
10,650
4,937

10,650
3,511
148,199
11,140
9,654
1,486
(2,625)12,279
4,644
2011209,641
31,991
25,700
6,291
510
25,190
13,204
209,607
21,622
18,912
2,710
25
18,887
10,434
2012254,321
40,042
25,577
14,465
100
25,477
25,362
254,142
27,797
18,251
9,546
(4,005)22,256
19,643
2013391,380
78,880
56,589
22,291
2,620
53,969
77,559
391,031
56,449
41,274
15,175
11,480
29,794
50,555
2014405,672
114,219
80,097
34,122
1,464
78,633
128,029
405,459
82,244
58,426
23,818
22,395
36,031
81,050
2015444,699
185,898
94,430
91,468
1,451
92,979
192,170
444,063
126,605
74,083
52,522
4,632
69,451
134,024
2016455,882
256,531
138,663
117,868
447
138,216
283,245
454,552
194,605
110,399
84,206
631
109,768
196,236
2017536,889
107,327
69,743
37,584

69,743
498,896
534,410
278,733
155,298
123,435
318
154,980
371,366
2018658,490
122,712
96,202
26,510

96,202
630,508
Subtotal3,776,748
860,927
523,809
337,118
7,376
516,433
1,234,644
4,429,989
945,179
601,043
344,136
31,006
570,037
1,508,221
Americas-InsolvencyAmericas-Insolvency Americas-Insolvency 
2004-2007132,917
321
235
86
60
175

2008108,550
332
119
213
472
(353)
1996-2008241,465
356
356


356

2009155,996
1,581
1,581


1,581

155,988
747
747


747

2010208,962
2,425
2,373
52
20
2,353

208,942
1,352
1,352


1,352

2011180,477
3,726
3,726


3,726

180,434
1,584
1,584


1,584

2012251,459
29,337
20,126
9,211

20,126

251,419
4,284
4,284


4,284

2013227,909
47,781
14,315
33,466

14,315
7,700
227,904
21,948
14,364
7,584

14,364

2014148,727
37,350
9,650
27,700
(125)9,775
26,834
148,712
28,759
9,433
19,326

9,433
7,493
201563,214
20,143
4,061
16,082

4,061
32,239
63,184
19,769
3,793
15,976

3,793
16,234
201692,381
30,426
5,955
24,471
1,030
4,925
52,221
92,285
25,047
4,209
20,838
435
3,774
30,580
2017278,066
49,093
9,204
39,889

9,204
238,178
275,293
97,315
17,518
79,797

17,518
155,609
201899,386
6,700
2,509
4,191

2,509
95,194
Subtotal1,848,658
222,515
71,345
151,170
1,457
69,888
357,172
1,945,012
207,861
60,149
147,712
435
59,714
305,110
Total Americas5,625,406
1,083,442
595,154
488,288
8,833
586,321
1,591,816
6,375,001
1,153,040
661,192
491,848
31,441
629,751
1,813,331
Europe-Core  
201220,428
2,038
2,058
(20)
2,058

20,424
1,996
2,000
(4)
2,000

201320,362
1,239
844
395
62
782
558
20,347
1,331
894
437

894
100
2014797,672
220,765
122,904
97,861
(141)123,045
328,018
796,899
206,255
131,812
74,443
(1,393)133,205
240,603
2015422,610
86,156
33,022
53,134
1,280
31,742
244,024
420,956
80,858
34,556
46,302
(3,258)37,814
189,588
2016348,864
78,915
27,325
51,590
1,589
25,736
287,117
348,436
72,603
28,839
43,764
6,035
22,804
225,044
2017250,596
17,894
5,177
12,717
141
5,036
242,800
247,757
56,033
15,027
41,006
599
14,428
188,893
2018 (6)
346,933
24,326
6,585
17,741

6,585
325,907
Subtotal1,860,532
407,007
191,330
215,677
2,931
188,399
1,102,517
2,201,752
443,402
219,713
223,689
1,983
217,730
1,170,135
Europe-InsolvencyEurope-Insolvency Europe-Insolvency 
201410,876
3,207
1,459
1,748

1,459
2,149
10,876
2,620
1,496
1,124

1,496
985
201519,409
5,013
1,331
3,682
134
1,197
8,219
19,396
4,783
1,891
2,892
(63)1,954
5,059
201642,216
12,703
2,800
9,903

2,800
28,163
42,190
12,856
4,941
7,915
64
4,877
19,002
201738,841
1,233
627
606

627
39,057
38,830
7,862
2,411
5,451

2,411
31,688
201845,636
642
255
387

255
44,577
Subtotal111,342
22,156
6,217
15,939
134
6,083
77,588
156,928
28,763
10,994
17,769
1
10,993
101,311
Total Europe1,971,874
429,163
197,547
231,616
3,065
194,482
1,180,105
2,358,680
472,165
230,707
241,458
1,984
228,723
1,271,446
Total PRA Group$7,597,280
$1,512,605
$792,701
$719,904
$11,898
$780,803
$2,771,921
$8,733,681
$1,625,205
$891,899
$733,306
$33,425
$858,474
$3,084,777
(1)The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includes the acquisition date finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(2)For our international amounts, Purchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the pool was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period-end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(3)
For our international amounts, amounts are presented using the average exchange rates during the current reporting period.
(4)
Net Revenue refers to income recognized on finance receivables, net of allowance charges/(reversals).
(5)For our international amounts, net finance receivables are presented at the December 31, 20172018 exchange rate.
(6)The Europe-Core purchases include a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.


The following tables illustratetable, which excludes any proceeds from cash sales of finance receivables, illustrates historical cash collections, by year, on our portfolios.
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (1)
as of December 31, 2017
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (1)
as of December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Year, By Year of Purchase (1)
as of December 31, 2018
Amounts in thousands
 Cash Collections Cash Collections
Purchase Period
Purchase Price (2)(3)
1996-
2007
2008200920102011201220132014201520162017Total
Purchase Price (2)(3)
1996-
2008
2009201020112012201320142015201620172018Total
Americas-CoreAmericas-Core Americas-Core 
1996-2007$638,461
$1,096,153
$222,628
$168,849
$137,689
$115,551
$89,405
$63,955
$45,247
$32,491
$20,745
$13,427
$2,006,140
2008166,443

47,253
72,080
62,363
53,654
42,850
31,307
21,027
13,786
8,989
6,031
359,340
1996-2008$804,883
$1,366,034
$240,929
$200,052
$169,205
$132,255
$95,262
$66,274
$46,277
$29,734
$19,458
$15,092
$2,380,572
2009125,155


40,703
95,627
84,339
69,385
51,121
35,555
24,896
16,000
10,994
428,620
125,153

40,703
95,627
84,339
69,385
51,121
35,555
24,896
16,000
10,994
8,180
436,800
2010148,205



47,076
113,554
109,873
82,014
55,946
38,110
24,515
15,587
486,675
148,199


47,076
113,554
109,873
82,014
55,946
38,110
24,515
15,587
11,140
497,815
2011209,641




61,971
174,461
152,908
108,513
73,793
48,711
31,991
652,348
209,607



61,971
174,461
152,908
108,513
73,793
48,711
31,991
21,622
673,970
2012254,321





56,901
173,589
146,198
97,267
59,981
40,042
573,978
254,142




56,901
173,589
146,198
97,267
59,981
40,042
27,797
601,775
2013391,380






101,614
247,849
194,026
120,789
78,880
743,158
391,031





101,614
247,849
194,026
120,789
78,880
56,449
799,607
2014405,672







92,660
253,448
170,311
114,219
630,638
405,459






92,660
253,448
170,311
114,219
82,244
712,882
2015444,699








116,951
228,432
185,898
531,281
444,063







116,951
228,432
185,898
126,605
657,886
2016455,882









138,723
256,531
395,254
454,552








138,723
256,531
194,605
589,859
2017536,889










107,327
107,327
534,410









107,327
278,733
386,060
2018658,490










122,712
122,712
Subtotal3,776,748
1,096,153
269,881
281,632
342,755
429,069
542,875
656,508
752,995
844,768
837,196
860,927
6,914,759
4,429,989
1,366,034
281,632
342,755
429,069
542,875
656,508
752,995
844,768
837,196
860,927
945,179
7,859,938
Americas-InsolvencyAmericas-Insolvency Americas-Insolvency 
2004-2007132,917
61,154
42,794
33,842
27,347
18,234
8,574
1,884
1,151
802
463
321
196,566
2008108,550

14,024
35,894
37,974
35,690
28,956
11,650
1,884
1,034
635
332
168,073
1996-2008241,465
117,972
69,736
65,321
53,924
37,530
13,534
3,035
1,836
1,098
653
356
364,995
2009155,996


16,635
81,780
102,780
107,888
95,725
53,945
5,781
2,531
1,581
468,646
155,988

16,635
81,780
102,780
107,888
95,725
53,945
5,781
2,531
1,581
747
469,393
2010208,962



39,486
104,499
125,020
121,717
101,873
43,649
5,008
2,425
543,677
208,942


39,486
104,499
125,020
121,717
101,873
43,649
5,008
2,425
1,352
545,029
2011180,477




15,218
66,379
82,752
85,816
76,915
35,996
3,726
366,802
180,434



15,218
66,379
82,752
85,816
76,915
35,996
3,726
1,584
368,386
2012251,459





17,388
103,610
94,141
80,079
60,715
29,337
385,270
251,419




17,388
103,610
94,141
80,079
60,715
29,337
4,284
389,554
2013227,909






52,528
82,596
81,679
63,386
47,781
327,970
227,904





52,528
82,596
81,679
63,386
47,781
21,948
349,918
2014148,727







37,045
50,880
44,313
37,350
169,588
148,712






37,045
50,880
44,313
37,350
28,759
198,347
201563,214








3,395
17,892
20,143
41,430
63,184







3,395
17,892
20,143
19,769
61,199
201692,381









18,869
30,426
49,295
92,285








18,869
30,426
25,047
74,342
2017278,066










49,093
49,093
275,293









49,093
97,315
146,408
201899,386










6,700
6,700
Subtotal1,848,658
61,154
56,818
86,371
186,587
276,421
354,205
469,866
458,451
344,214
249,808
222,515
2,766,410
1,945,012
117,972
86,371
186,587
276,421
354,205
469,866
458,451
344,214
249,808
222,515
207,861
2,974,271
Total Americas5,625,406
1,157,307
326,699
368,003
529,342
705,490
897,080
1,126,374
1,211,446
1,188,982
1,087,004
1,083,442
9,681,169
6,375,001
1,484,006
368,003
529,342
705,490
897,080
1,126,374
1,211,446
1,188,982
1,087,004
1,083,442
1,153,040
10,834,209
Europe-CoreEurope-Core Europe-Core 
201220,428





11,604
8,995
5,641
3,175
2,198
2,038
33,651
20,424




11,604
8,995
5,641
3,175
2,198
2,038
1,996
35,647
201320,362






7,068
8,540
2,347
1,326
1,239
20,520
20,347





7,068
8,540
2,347
1,326
1,239
1,331
21,851
2014797,672







153,180
291,980
246,365
220,765
912,290
796,899






153,180
291,980
246,365
220,765
206,255
1,118,545
2015422,610








45,760
100,263
86,156
232,179
420,956







45,760
100,263
86,156
80,858
313,037
2016348,864









40,368
78,915
119,283
348,436








40,368
78,915
72,603
191,886
2017250,596










17,894
17,894
247,757









17,894
56,033
73,927
2018 (4)
346,933










24,326
24,326
Subtotal1,860,532





11,604
16,063
167,361
343,262
390,520
407,007
1,335,817
2,201,752




11,604
16,063
167,361
343,262
390,520
407,007
443,402
1,779,219
Europe-InsolvencyEurope-Insolvency Europe-Insolvency 
201410,876







5
4,297
3,921
3,207
11,430
10,876






5
4,297
3,921
3,207
2,620
14,050
201519,409








2,954
4,366
5,013
12,333
19,396







2,954
4,366
5,013
4,783
17,116
201642,216









6,175
12,703
18,878
42,190








6,175
12,703
12,856
31,734
201738,841










1,233
1,233
38,830









1,233
7,862
9,095
201845,636










642
642
Subtotal111,342







5
7,251
14,462
22,156
43,874
156,928






5
7,251
14,462
22,156
28,763
72,637
Total Europe1,971,874





11,604
16,063
167,366
350,513
404,982
429,163
1,379,691
2,358,680




11,604
16,063
167,366
350,513
404,982
429,163
472,165
1,851,856
Total PRA Group$7,597,280
$1,157,307
$326,699
$368,003
$529,342
$705,490
$908,684
$1,142,437
$1,378,812
$1,539,495
$1,491,986
$1,512,605
$11,060,860
$8,733,681
$1,484,006
$368,003
$529,342
$705,490
$908,684
$1,142,437
$1,378,812
$1,539,495
$1,491,986
$1,512,605
$1,625,205
$12,686,065
(1)
For our international amounts, cash collections are presented using the average exchange rates during the cash collection period.
(2)
The amount reflected in the Purchase Price also includes the acquisition date finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
(3)For our international amounts, Purchase Price is presented at the exchange rate at the end of the quarter in which the portfolio was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the period end exchange rate for the respective quarter of purchase.
(4)
The Europe-Core purchases include a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.


Estimated Remaining Collections
The following chart shows our ERC by geographical region at December 31, 20172018 (amounts in millions).
Seasonalitychart-c672996798ce5f6c9d4.jpg
Cash collections in the Americas tend to be higher in the first and second quarters of the year and lower in the third and fourth quarters of the year; by contrast, cash collections in Europe tend to be higher in the third and fourth quarters of the year. Customer payment patterns are affected by seasonal employment trends, income tax refunds and holiday spending habits geographically.Collections
The following table displays our quarterly cash collections by geography and portfolio type, for the periods indicated.
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
2017 20162018 2017
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas-Core$204,245
 $212,756
 $217,020
 $226,906
 $193,360
 $210,524
 $213,741
 $219,571
$233,937
 $231,253
 $233,752
 $246,237
 $204,245
 $212,756
 $217,020
 $226,906
Americas-Insolvency59,103
 60,436
 53,163
 49,813
 52,988
 60,429
 67,745
 68,646
48,000
 48,518
 56,063
 55,280
 59,103
 60,436
 53,163
 49,813
Europe-Core107,124
 102,681
 99,121
 98,081
 97,429
 96,028
 102,972
 94,091
113,154
 102,780
 109,359
 118,109
 107,124
 102,681
 99,121
 98,081
Europe-Insolvency5,794
 5,961
 5,371
 5,030
 4,974
 4,719
 2,744
 2,025
7,618
 6,731
 7,460
 6,954
 5,794
 5,961
 5,371
 5,030
Total Cash Collections$376,266
 $381,834
 $374,675
 $379,830
 $348,751
 $371,700
 $387,202
 $384,333
$402,709
 $389,282
 $406,634
 $426,580
 $376,266
 $381,834
 $374,675
 $379,830
The following table provides additional details on the composition of our U.S. Core cash collections for the periods indicated.
Domestic Portfolio Core Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Core Portfolio Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Core Portfolio Cash Collections by Source
Amounts in thousands
2017 20162018 2017
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Call Center and Other Collections$120,349
 $123,009
 $122,780
 $127,368
 $103,595
 $115,454
 $119,568
 $127,851
$134,543
 $137,325
 $143,527
 $155,448
 $120,349
 $123,009
 $122,780
 $127,368
External Legal Collections31,960
 35,042
 37,863
 40,267
 35,231
 36,415
 40,369
 43,203
47,410
 41,935
 40,631
 38,891
 31,960
 35,042
 37,863
 40,267
Internal Legal Collections31,154
 31,761
 32,511
 34,937
 31,458
 33,206
 34,505
 39,080
30,724
 32,064
 32,532
 33,423
 31,154
 31,761
 32,511
 34,937
Total Domestic Core Cash Collections$183,463
 $189,812
 $193,154
 $202,572
 $170,284
 $185,075
 $194,442
 $210,134
Total U.S.-Core Cash Collections$212,677
 $211,324
 $216,690
 $227,762
 $183,463
 $189,812
 $193,154
 $202,572


Collections Productivity (Domestic(U.S. Portfolio)
The following tables display certain collections productivity measures.
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
Domestic Portfolio
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
U.S. Portfolio
Cash Collections per Collector Hour Paid
U.S. Portfolio
Total domestic core cash collections (1)
Total U.S. Core cash collections (1)
2017 2016 2015 2014 20132018 2017 2016 2015 2014
First Quarter$254
 $274
 $247
 $223
 $193
$176
 $254
 $274
 $247
 $223
Second Quarter202
 269
 245
 220
 190
152
 202
 269
 245
 220
Third Quarter191
 281
 250
 217
 191
163
 191
 281
 250
 217
Fourth Quarter170
 248
 239
 203
 190
163
 170
 248
 239
 203
                  
Call center and other cash collections (2)
Call center and other cash collections (2)
2017 2016 2015 2014 20132018 2017 2016 2015 2014
First Quarter$161
 $168
 $143
 $119
 $107
$121
 $161
 $168
 $143
 $119
Second Quarter129
 167
 141
 107
 104
101
 129
 167
 141
 107
Third Quarter125
 177
 145
 112
 104
107
 125
 177
 145
 112
Fourth Quarter112
 153
 139
 110
 100
104
 112
 153
 139
 110
(1)Represents total cash collections less Insolvency cash collections from trustee-administered accounts. This metric includes cash collections from Insolvency accounts administered by the Core call centercenters as well as cash collections generated by our internal staff of legal collectors. This calculation does not include hours paid to our internal staff of legal collectors or to employees processing the required notifications to trustees on Insolvency accounts.
(2)Represents total cash collections less internal legal cash collections, external legal cash collections and Insolvency cash collections from trustee-administered accounts.
Portfolio Purchasing
The following graph shows the purchase price of our portfolios by year since 2008.2009. It also includes the acquisition date finance receivable portfolios that were acquired through our various business acquisitions.
Our ability to profitably purchase and liquidate pools of Insolvency accounts provides diversity to our nonperforming loan purchasing business. Although we generally purchase Insolvency portfolios from many of the same consumer lenders from whom we acquire Core customer portfolios, the volumes and pricing characteristics as well as the competitors are different. Based upon market dynamics, the profitability of portfolios purchased in the Insolvency and Core markets may differ over time. We have found periods when Insolvency accounts were more profitable and other times when Core accounts were more profitable. When pricing becomes more competitive due to reduced portfolios available for purchase or increased demand from competitors entering or increasing their presence in the market, prices tend to go up, driving down the purchase price multiples and lowering the overallchart-5e724e4bf9535895a7f.jpg


expected returns. When pricing relaxes due to market dynamics, purchase price multiples tend to increase, thereby increasing the expected returns.
To collect our Core portfolios, we generally need to employ relatively higher amounts of labor and incur additional collection costs to generate each dollar of cash collections as compared with Insolvency portfolios. In order to achieve acceptable levels of net return on investment (after direct expenses), we are generally targeting a higher total estimated collections to purchase price multiple for Core portfolios. On the other hand, Insolvency accounts generate the majority of their cash collections through the efforts of insolvency courts and trustees. In this process, cash is remitted to our Company with no corresponding cost other than the cost of filing claims at the time of purchase, court fees associated with the filing of ownership claim transfers and general administrative costs for monitoring the progress of each account through the insolvency process. As a result, collection costs are much lower for us when liquidating a pool of Insolvency accounts as compared to a pool of Core accounts, but conversely the price we pay for Insolvency accounts is generally higher than Core accounts. We generally target similar net income margins for Insolvency and Core portfolios at any given point in the market cycles. However, because of the lower related collection costs, we can pay more for Insolvency portfolios, which causes the total estimated collections to purchase price multiples of Insolvency pools generally to be lower. In summary, compared to a similar investment in a pool of Core accounts, to the extent both pools had identical targeted net income margins, the Insolvency pool would be expected to generate less revenue, less direct expenses, similar operating income and a higher operating margin. From time to time, especially in Europe, we purchase Core portfolios which consist of a majority of previously charged-off accounts which have made a payment within six months prior to acquisition. These portfolios have some of the same financial dynamics as Insolvency accounts, with lower collection costs and lower purchase price multiples.
As a result of these purchase price and collection cost dynamics, the mix of our portfolios impacts the relative profitability we realize in a given year. We minimize the impact of higher pricing, to the degree possible, with increased analytics used to score Core accounts and determine on which of those accounts to focus our collection efforts.
We utilize a long-term approach to collecting our receivables. This approach has historically caused us to realize significant cash collections and revenues from purchased portfolios of nonperforming loans years after they are originally acquired. As a result, we have in the past been able to temporarily reduce our level of current period acquisitions without a significant negative current period impact on cash collections and revenue.
The following table displays our quarterly portfolio purchases for the periods indicated.
Portfolio Purchases by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Purchases by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
Portfolio Purchases by Geography and Type
Amounts in thousands
2017 20162018 2017
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Americas-Core$160,278
 $115,572
 $144,871
 $115,166
 $91,800
 $95,452
 $130,529
 $136,057
$172,511
 $170,426
 $182,768
 $131,427
 $160,278
 $115,572
 $144,871
 $115,166
Americas-Insolvency44,195
 73,497
 100,040
 67,123
 20,929
 16,760
 33,723
 22,952
52,871
 17,151
 16,651
 13,436
 44,195
 73,497
 100,040
 67,123
Europe-Core(1)152,417
 14,695
 42,876
 39,505
 80,129
 34,240
 68,835
 171,038
231,810
 45,754
 19,403
 18,000
 152,417
 14,695
 42,876
 39,505
Europe-Insolvency17,698
 7,146
 7,860
 6,020
 6,943
 14,803
 16,410
 6,731
33,661
 4,159
 2,577
 5,392
 17,698
 7,146
 7,860
 6,020
Total Portfolio Purchasing$374,588
 $210,910
 $295,647
 $227,814
 $199,801
 $161,255
 $249,497
 $336,778
$490,853
 $237,490
 $221,399
 $168,255
 $374,588
 $210,910
 $295,647
 $227,814
(1)The Europe-Core purchases in the above table and graph exclude a $34.9 million finance receivables portfolio addition in the third quarter of 2018 relating to the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.
Portfolio Purchases by Stratifications (Domestic(U.S. Only)
The following table categorizes our quarterly domesticU.S. portfolio purchases for the periods indicated into major asset type and delinquency category. Over the past 20 years,Since our inception in 1996, we have acquired more than 4751 million customer accounts in the U.S. alone.
Domestic Portfolio Purchases by Stratification (Major Asset Type)
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Purchases by Major Asset Type
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Purchases by Major Asset Type
Amounts in thousands
2017 20162018 2017
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Major Credit Cards$87,414
 $54,892
 $65,177
 $57,615
 $35,306
 $38,858
 $48,471
 $68,072
$65,025
 $78,864
 $100,160
 $84,858
 $87,895
 $54,892
 $65,177
 $57,615
Consumer Finance2,360
 3,308
 7,354
 7,987
 5,678
 1,309
 1,616
 2,533
2,619
 2,248
 4,098
 3,558
 2,360
 3,308
 7,354
 7,987
Private Label Credit Cards90,813
 78,609
 101,162
 73,473
 56,681
 54,969
 86,331
 62,104
100,633
 100,517
 82,406
 47,962
 90,332
 78,609
 101,162
 73,473
Auto Related21,219
 49,741
 67,701
 30,191
 6,104
 
 831
 411
31,892
 330
 427
 613
 21,219
 49,741
 67,701
 30,191
Total$201,806
 $186,550
 $241,394
 $169,266
 $103,769
 $95,136
 $137,249
 $133,120
$200,169
 $181,959
 $187,091
 $136,991
 $201,806
 $186,550
 $241,394
 $169,266
Domestic Portfolio Purchases by Stratification (Delinquency Category)
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Purchases by Delinquency Category
Amounts in thousands
U.S. Portfolio Purchases by Delinquency Category
Amounts in thousands
2017 20162018 2017
Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2 Q1
Fresh (1)
$76,910
 $67,540
 $73,813
 $43,786
 $30,919
 $30,114
 $42,048
 $37,036
$61,730
 $61,882
 $80,976
 $71,067
 $76,910
 $67,540
 $73,813
 $43,786
Primary (2)
23,100
 1,623
 4,314
 726
 2,672
 1,568
 29,990
 26,240
39,690
 37,670
 34,166
 3,290
 23,100
 1,623
 4,314
 726
Secondary (3)
48,865
 43,366
 52,217
 49,794
 48,005
 51,630
 51,019
 43,841
45,878
 63,525
 55,299
 49,198
 48,865
 43,366
 52,217
 49,794
Tertiary (3)
8,736
 524
 
 1,111
 557
 
 
 1,843

 
 
 
 8,736
 524
 
 1,111
Insolvency44,195
 73,497
 100,040
 67,123
 20,930
 11,145
 13,702
 22,952
52,871
 17,151
 16,650
 13,436
 44,195
 73,497
 100,040
 67,123
Other (4)

 
 11,010
 6,726
 686
 679
 490
 1,208

 1,731
 
 
 
 
 11,010
 6,726
Total$201,806
 $186,550
 $241,394
 $169,266
 $103,769
 $95,136
 $137,249
 $133,120
$200,169
 $181,959
 $187,091
 $136,991
 $201,806
 $186,550
 $241,394
 $169,266
(1)Fresh accounts are typically past due 120 to 270 days, charged-off by the credit originator and are either being sold prior to any post-charge-off collection activity or placement with a third-party for the first time.
(2)Primary accounts are typically 360 to 450 days past due and charged-off and have been previously placed with one contingent fee servicer.
(3)Secondary and tertiary accounts are typically more than 660 days past due and charged-off and have been placed with two or three contingent fee servicers.
(4)Other accounts are typically two to three years or more past due and charged-off and have previously been worked by four or more contingent fee servicers.


Liquidity and Capital Resources
We manage our liquidity to help provide access to sufficient funding to meet our business needs and financial obligations. As of December 31, 2017,2018, cash and cash equivalents totaled $120.5$98.7 million. Of the cash and cash equivalent balance as of December 31, 2017, $106.02018, $78.6 million consisted of cash on hand related to foreign operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings. See the "Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries" section below for more information.
At December 31, 2017,2018, we had approximately $2.2$2.5 billion in borrowings outstanding with $845.2$797.8 million of availability under all of our credit facilities (subject to the borrowing base and applicable debt covenants). Considering borrowing base restrictions, as of December 31, 2017,2018, the amount available to be drawn was $510.2$456.4 million. Of the $845.2$797.8 million of borrowing availability, $463.4$278.1 million was available under our European credit facility and $381.8$519.7 million was available under our North American credit facility. Of the $510.2$456.4 million available considering borrowing base restrictions, $157.0$166.0 million was available under our European credit facility and $353.1$290.3 million was available under our North American credit facility. The primary borrowing base under both credit facilities is ERC of the respective finance receivables portfolios. For more information, see Note 6.6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
An additional funding source for our Europe operations is interest-bearing deposits generated in Europe.deposits. Per the terms of our European credit facility, we are permitted to obtain interest-bearing deposit funding of up to SEK 1.51.2 billion (approximately $182.5$134.3 million as of December 31, 2017)2018). We amended our European credit facility during the first quarter of 2018 which lowered this limit from SEK 1.5 billion to SEK 1.2 billion (approximately $146.0 million). See Note 6 for more information. Interest-bearing deposits as of December 31, 20172018 were $98.6$82.7 million.
Following the receipt of the covenant waiver during the fourth quarter of 2017 as discussed in Note 6, we believe we were in compliance with the covenants of our financing arrangements as of December 31, 2017.
As discussed in Note 17,16 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, in December 2018, we sold 79% of our government services businessinterest in January 2017 for $91.5RCB's servicing platform which provided us with approximately $40 million of net cash proceeds. We received 25% of the proceeds on December 20, 2018 and our vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery businessthe remaining 75% in June 2017 for approximately $4.5 million.the first quarter of 2019.
We have the ability to slowdecrease the purchasing of nonperforming loans if necessary, with low impact to current year cash collections. For example, we invested $1,109.0 million$1.1 billion in portfolio purchases in 2017.2018. The portfolios purchased in 20172018 generated $175.5$154.4 million of cash collections, representing only 11.6%9.5% of 20172018 cash collections.
Contractual obligations over the next year are primarily related to debt maturities and purchase commitments. Our North American credit facility expires in May 2022. Our European credit facility expires in February 2021. Of our $764.8$740.6 million in long-term debt outstanding at December 31, 2017,2018, $10.0 million in principal is due within one year.
We have in place forward flow commitments for the purchase of nonperforming loans primarily over the next 12 months with a maximum purchase price of $203.2$303.7 million as of December 31, 2017.2018. We may also enter into new or renewed flow commitments and close on spot transactions in addition to the aforementioned flow agreements.


For tax purposes,On May 10, 2017, we utilizedreached a settlement with the cost recovery method of accounting for our finance receivable income through December 31, 2016. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS"(“IRS”) examined our 2005 through 2012 tax returns and assertedin regard to the IRS assertion that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method did not clearly reflect taxable income and therefore issued Notices of Deficiency to us for tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012 (the "Notices").income. In response to the Notices, we filed petitions in the U.S. Tax Court (the "Tax Court") challenging the deficiencies and the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017. On May 10, 2017, we reached a settlementaccordance with the IRS in regards to the Notices. Under the settlement, both parties agreed that no amounts were due for years 2005 through 2012 and the Tax Court entered decisions to that effect on June 22, 2017. Also, under the settlement, we agreed to utilize a newour tax accounting method to recognize net finance receivables revenue changed effective with tax year 2017. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections will amortizeamortizes principal and the remaining portion will be consideredis taxable income. We will not be required to pay any interest or penalties related to the prior periods. The deferred tax liabilityrevenue related to the difference in timing between the new method and the priorcost recovery method will be incorporatedincluded evenly into our tax filings over four years.years effective with tax year 2017. We estimate the related tax payments for future years to be approximately $9.8$9.3 million per quarter.
On October 22, 2015, our board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $125.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock. Repurchases depend on prevailing market conditions and other factors. In 2017, in conjunction with the issuance of the 2023 Notes, we used a portion of the proceeds to repurchase approximately $44.9 million of our outstanding shares of common stock which represented the remaining share repurchasing authority under the program.
We believe that funds generated from operations and from cash collections on finance receivables, together with existing cash and available borrowings under our revolving credit facilities will be sufficient to finance our operations, planned capital expenditures, forward flow purchase commitments, and additional portfolio purchasing during the next twelve months. Business acquisitions, adverse outcomes in pending litigation or higher than expected levels of portfolio purchasing could require additional financing from other sources.
Cash Flows Analysis
Our operating activities provided cash of $0.8$80.9 million, $105.9$15.5 million, and $203.0$205.9 million in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015,2016, respectively. Key drivers of the changes included cash collections recognized as revenue, fee income, income tax payments, interest payments and interest payments.operating expenses. In addition, changes in other accounts related to our operating activities impacted our cash from operations. Cash collections recognized as revenue were $780.8$891.9 million, $745.1$795.4 million and $865.1$845.1 million in 2018, 2017 and 2016, and 2015, respectively, as previously described in the revenues discussion and analysis.respectively. Fee income was $14.9 million, $24.9 million and $77.4 million in 2018, 2017 and $64.4 million in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. The decline in 2018 and 2017 was primarily the result of the sale of our government services business in January 2017 and our vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery businessPLS in June 2017. Cash paid for income taxes was $73.5 million, $144.3 million and $78.8 million in 2018, 2017 and $86.3 million in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. The 2017 total included $23.4 million related to the sale of our government services business and $58.3 million related to payment of the deferred tax liability discussed earlier in this section. Interest payments were $97.5 million, $79.8 million and $68.0 million in 2018, 2017 and $49.8 million in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. The increases were due primarily to increased borrowings and increases in interest rates and unused line fees.


Operating expenses were $689.6 million, $602.6 million and $612.4 million in 2018, 2017, and 2016, respectively. For an analysis of the changes in operating expenses refer to the "Operating expenses" section included in Item 7 of this Form 10-K.
Our investing activities used cash of $280.3$387.3 million, $217.5$295.0 million, and $282.3$317.5 million in 2018, 2017, 2016, and 2015,2016, respectively. Cash used in investing activities was primarily driven by acquisitions of nonperforming loans and business acquisitions.loans. Cash provided by investing activities was primarily driven by cash collections applied to principal on finance receivables and proceeds from sale of subsidiaries. The change in net cash used in investing activities was primarily due to changes in the amounts of acquisitions of finance receivables, which totaled $1,105.8 million in 2018, compared to $1,086.0 million and $890.8 million in 2017 compared to $890.8 million and $955.0 million2016, respectively. Additionally, in 2016, and 2015, respectively. Additionally, net cash payments for corporatebusiness acquisitions totaled $0.0 million$60.2 million. There were no business acquisitions in 2017, compared to $60.2 million, and $1.4 million in 2016, and 2015, respectively.2018 or 2017. The change was also due to changes in the amount of collections applied to principal on finance receivables which totaled $731.8$733.3 million in 2018, compared to $717.2 million, and $646.8 million in 2017, compared to $746.9 million, and $674.4 million in 2016, and 2015, respectively. These items were offset by an increaseincreases of $4.9 million and $93.3 million in cash provided by investing activities related to the sale of certain of our subsidiaries in 2017.2018 and 2017, respectively. No subsidiaries were sold in 2016 or 2015.2016. In 2018, cash provided by investing activities included $17.5 million related to the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.
Our financing activities provided cash of $294.9 million, $295.7 million and $94.4 million in 2018, 2017, and $120.12016, respectively. The change in cash provided by financing activities in 2018 compared to 2017, was primarily due to a decrease in net draws on our lines of credit and long-term debt. During 2018, net draws on our borrowing activities totaled $324.1 million compared to net draws of $350.3 million during 2017. Cash used in financing activities in 2018 compared to 2017 2016,was also impacted by repurchases of common stock, distributions paid to noncontrolling interests and 2015,payments of origination costs and fees. Repurchases of our common stock totaled $44.9 million during 2017, which occurred in combination with our offering of convertible senior notes. There were no repurchases of our common stock during 2018 or 2016. Distributions paid to noncontrolling interests totaled $14.5 million and $1.4 million for 2018 and 2017, respectively. Payments of origination costs and fees totaled $2.3 million during 2018 compared to $18.2 million during 2017. Additionally, during 2018 we had a decrease in interest bearing deposits of $8.7 million, compared to an increase of $13.0 million during 2017. The change in cash provided by financing activities in 2017 compared to 2016, and 2015, was primarily due to an increase in net draws on our borrowings,lines of credit and long-term debt, offset partially by changes in amounts of repurchases of our common stock. InDuring 2017, net proceeds from borrowing activities waswere $350.3 million compared to $82.8 million and $279.9during 2016. Additionally, during 2017 we had an increase in interest bearing deposits of $13.0 million, in 2016 and 2015, respectively. Cash flow relatedcompared to financing activities was impacted by stock repurchasesan increase of $44.9$32.9 million $0.0 million, and $165.5 million in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively.2016.
Undistributed Earnings of Foreign Subsidiaries
We intend to use predominantly all of our accumulated and future undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries to expand operations outside the U.S.; therefore, such undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are considered to be indefinitely reinvested


outside the U.S. Accordingly, no provision for income tax or withholding tax has been provided thereon. If management's intentions change and eligible undistributed earnings of foreign subsidiaries are repatriated, we could be subject to additional income taxes and withholding taxes. This could result in a higher effective tax rate in the period in which such a decision is made to repatriate accumulated or future undistributed foreign earnings. The amount of cash on hand related to foreign operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings was $106.0$78.6 million and $73.6$106.0 million as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, respectively. Refer to the Note 1312 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further information related to our income taxes and undistributed foreign earnings.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
We do not have any off balanceoff-balance sheet arrangements as of December 31, 20172018 as defined by Item 303(a)(4) of Regulation S-K promulgated under the Exchange Act.


Contractual Obligations
Our contractual obligations as of December 31, 20172018 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 Payments due by period Payments due by period
Contractual Obligations Total Less than 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years More than 5 years Total Less than 1 year 1 - 3 years 3 - 5 years More than 5 years
Operating leases $51,441
 $11,837
 $17,872
 $12,152
 $9,580
 $55,072
 $11,470
 $22,260
 $13,476
 $7,866
Revolving credit facilities (1)
 1,016,857
 45,782
 90,660
 879,559
 856
Revolving credit (1)
 1,326,240
 58,241
 656,260
 611,739
 
Long-term debt (2)
 1,711,017
 62,937
 412,154
 884,888
 351,038
 1,627,172
 64,479
 784,442
 778,251
 
Purchase commitments (3)
 203,167
 203,167
 
 
 
 303,702
 294,533
 9,169
 
 
Employment agreements 21,917
 7,963
 13,954
 
 
 16,125
 8,651
 7,474
 
 
Total $3,004,399
 $331,686
 $534,640
 $1,776,599
 $361,474
 $3,328,311
 $437,374
 $1,479,605
 $1,403,466
 $7,866
(1)This amount includes estimated interest and unused line fees due on our revolving credit facilities and assumes that the outstanding balances on the revolving credit facilities remain constant from the December 31, 20172018 balances to maturity.
(2)This amount includes scheduled interest and principal payments on our term loans and convertible senior notes.
(3)This amount includes the maximum remaining amount to be purchased under forward flow and other contracts for the purchase of nonperforming loans in the amount of approximately $203.2$303.7 million.
In 2017, we opened two new call centers in Henderson, NV and Burlington, NC. We lease these call centers and have included the future minimum lease payments in the table above. With the addition of these, as well as expansions at existing sites, we have added capacity for an additional 1,000 full time collectors. Both sites were fully operational during the first quarter of 2018.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K. Our significant accounting policies are fundamental to understanding our results of operations and financial condition because they require that we use estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets, and liabilities.
Three of these policies are considered to be critical because they are important to the portrayal of our financial condition and results, and because they require management to make judgments and estimates that are difficult, subjective, and complex regarding matters that are inherently uncertain.
We base our estimates on historical experience, current trends and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. If these estimates differ significantly from actual results, the impact on our consolidated financial statements may be material.
Management has reviewed these critical accounting policies with the Audit Committee of our board of directors.
Revenue Recognition - Finance Receivables
We account for our investment in finance receivables under the guidance of ASC 310-30. Revenue recognition for finance receivables accounted for under ASC 310-30 involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment on the part of management. These estimates include projections of the quantity and timing of future cash flows and economic lives of our pools of finance


receivables. Significant changes in such estimates could result in increased revenue via yield increases which are recognized prospectively or decreased revenue through the incurrence ofincreased allowance charges resulting from decreased cash flow estimates which are recognized immediately.
We implement the accounting for income recognized on finance receivables under ASC 310-30 as follows:
We create each accounting pool using our projections of estimated cash flows and expected economic life. We then compute the effective yield that fully amortizes the pool over a reasonable expectation of its economic life based on the current projections of estimated cash flows. As actual cash flow results are recorded, we review each pool watching for trends, actual performance versus projections and curve shape (a graphical depiction of the timing of cash flows). We then re-forecast future cash flows utilizing our proprietary analytical models.
Significant judgment is used in evaluating whether variances in actual performance are due to changes in the total amount or changes in the timing of expected cash flows. Significant changes in either may result in yield increases or allowance charges if necessary for the pool's amortization period to fall within a reasonable expectation of its economic life.


Valuation of Acquired Intangibles and Goodwill
In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 350, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350"), we amortize intangible assets over their estimated useful lives. Goodwill, pursuant to ASC 350, is not amortized but rather evaluated for impairment annually and more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. Goodwill is reviewed for potential impairment at the reporting unit level. A reporting unit is an operating segment or one level below an operating segment.
Goodwill is evaluated for impairment either under the qualitative assessment option or the two-step test approach depending on facts and circumstances of a reporting unit, including the excess of fair value over carrying amount in the last valuation or changes in business environment. If we qualitatively determine it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is greater than its carrying amount, the two-step impairment test is unnecessary. Otherwise, goodwill is evaluated for impairment using the two-step test, where the carrying amount of a reporting unit is compared to its fair value in Step 1; if the fair value exceeds the carrying amount, Step 2 is unnecessary. If the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, this could indicate potential impairment and Step 2 of the goodwill evaluation process is required to determine if goodwill is impaired and to measure the amount of impairment loss to recognize, if any. When Step 2 is necessary, the fair value of individual assets and liabilities is determined using valuations (which in some cases may be based in part on third-party valuation reports), or other observable sources of fair value, as appropriate. If the carrying amount of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, the excess is recognized as an impairment loss.
We determine the fair value of a reporting unit by applying the approaches prescribed under the fair value measurement accounting framework: the income approach and the market approach. Depending on the availability of public data and suitable comparables, we may or may not use the market approach or we may emphasize the results from the approach differently. Under the income approach, we estimate the fair value of a reporting unit based on the present value of estimated future cash flows and a residual terminal value. Cash flow projections are based on management's estimates of revenue growth rates, operating margins, necessary working capital, and capital expenditure requirements, taking into consideration industry and market conditions. The discount rate used is based on the weighted-average cost of capital adjusted for the relevant risk associated with business-specific characteristics and the uncertainty related to the reporting unit's ability to execute on the projected cash flows. Under the market approach, we estimate fair value based on prices and other relevant market transactions involving comparable publicly-traded companies with operating and investment characteristics similar to the reporting unit.
Income Taxes
We are subject to the income tax laws of the various jurisdictions in which we operate, including U.S. federal, state, local, and international jurisdictions. These tax laws are complex and are subject to different interpretations by the taxpayer and the relevant government taxing authorities. When determining our domestic and foreign income tax expense, we must make judgments about the application of these inherently complex laws.
We follow the guidance of FASB ASC Topic 740 "Income Taxes" ("ASC 740") as it relates to the provision for income taxes and uncertainty in income taxes. Accordingly, we record a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. In accordance with ASC 740, the provision for income taxes is computed using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets and liabilities are expected to be realized or settled. The evaluation of a tax position in accordance with the guidance is a two-step process. The first step is recognition: the enterpriseCompany determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of


the position. In evaluating whether a tax position has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the enterpriseCompany should presume that the position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: a tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Tax positions that previously failed to meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax positions that no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. We record interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense.
In the event that all or part of the deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, a valuation allowance would be established and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. If we subsequently realize deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings in the period such determination is made. The establishment or release of a valuation allowance


does not have an impact on cash, nor does such an allowance preclude the use of loss carry-forwards or other deferred tax assets in future periods. The calculation of tax liabilities involves significant judgment in estimating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.
Our international operations requires the use of material estimates and interpretations of complex tax laws in multiple jurisdictions, and increases the complexity of our accounting for income taxes.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a summary of recent accounting pronouncements and the anticipated effects on our consolidated financial statements see Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
Our activities are subject to various financial risks including market risk, currency and interest rate risk, credit risk, liquidity risk and cash flow risk. Our overall financial risk management program focuses on the unpredictability of financial markets and seeks to minimize potential adverse effects on our financial performance. We may periodically enter into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swap agreements,derivatives, to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt and their impact on earnings and cash flows. We do not utilize derivative financial instruments with a level of complexity or with a risk greater than the exposure to be managed nor do we enter into or hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes. Derivative instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of non-performance, or credit risk. We do not believe that we currently face a significant risk of loss in the event of non-performance by the counterparties associated with these instruments, as these transactions were executed with a diversified group of major financial institutions with a minimuman investment-grade or better credit rating. Our credit risk exposure is managed through the periodic monitoring of our exposures to such counterparties.
Interest Rate Risk
We are subject to interest rate risk from outstanding borrowings on our variable rate credit facilities. As such, our consolidated financial results are subject to fluctuations due to changes in the market rate of interest. We assess this interest rate risk by estimating the increase or decrease in interest expense that would occur due to a change in short-term interest rates. The borrowings on our variable rate credit facilities were approximately $1.6$1.9 billion as of December 31, 2017. Assuming2018. Based on our current debt structure, assuming a 50 basis point decrease in interest rates, for example, interest expense over the following 12 months would decrease by an estimated $6.4$6.8 million. Assuming a 50 basis point increase in interest rates, interest expense over the following 12 months would increase by an estimated $6.4$8.0 million.
To reduce the exposure to changes in the market rate of interest and to be in compliance with the terms of our European credit facility, we have entered into interest rate swap agreementsderivative contracts for a portion of our borrowings under our floating rate financing arrangements. Further, effective in the second quarter of 2018, we began to apply hedge accounting to certain of our interest rate derivative contracts.  By applying hedge accounting, changes in market value are reflected as adjustments in Other Comprehensive Income. All derivatives to which we have applied hedge accounting were evaluated and remain highly effective at December 31, 2018 and mature in 2020 or 2021. Terms of the interest rate swap agreementsderivative contracts require us to receive a variable interest rate and pay a fixed interest rate. The sensitivity calculations above consider the impact of our interest rate swap agreements.derivative contracts.
The fair value of our interest rate swapderivative agreements was a net liabilityasset of $1.1$0.8 million at December 31, 2017.2018. A hypothetical 50 basis point decrease in interest rates would cause a decrease in the estimated fair value of our interest rate swapderivative agreements and the resulting estimated fair value would be a liability of $6.3$2.0 million at December 31, 2017.2018. Conversely, a hypothetical 50 basis point increase in interest rates would cause an increase in the estimated fair value of our interest rate swapderivative agreements and the resulting estimated fair value would be an asset of $3.6$4.3 million at December 31, 2017.2018.


The assumptions used in the interest rate sensitivity calculations do not include the effect of certain interest rate swap contracts that were executed subsequent to year-end and are expected to effectively convert certain of our forecasted interest payments on borrowings under our domestic revolving credit facility from a variable rate to a fixed rate.
Currency Exchange Risk
We operate internationally and enter into transactions denominated in various foreign currencies. In 2017,2018, we generated $259.6$289.1 million of revenues from operations outside the U.S. and used eleven functional currencies. Weakness in one particular currency might be offset by strength in other currencies over time.
As a result of our international operations, fluctuations in foreign currencies could cause us to incur foreign currency exchange gains and losses, and could adversely affect our comprehensive income and stockholders' equity. Additionally, our reported financial results could change from period to period due solely to fluctuations between currencies.


Foreign currency gains and losses are primarily the result of the re-measurement of transactions in certain other currencies into an entity's functional currency. Foreign currency gains and losses are included as a component of other income and (expense) in our consolidated income statements.
When an entity's functional currency is different than the reporting currency of its parent, foreign currency translation adjustments may occur. Foreign currency translation adjustments are included as a component of other comprehensive income/(loss) in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income and as a component of equity in our consolidated balance sheets.
We have taken measures to mitigate the impact of foreign currency fluctuations. We have restructuredorganized our European operations so that portfolio ownership and collections generally occur within the same entity. Our European credit facility is a multi-currencymulticurrency facility, allowing us to better match funding and portfolio investments by currency. We strive to maintain the distribution of our European borrowings within defined thresholds based on the currency composition of our finance receivables portfolios. When those thresholds are exceeded, we engage in foreign exchange spot transactions to mitigate our risk.


Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
See Item 6 for quarterly consolidated financial statements for 20172018 and 2016.2017.
Index to Financial Statements
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the stockholdersStockholders and boardBoard of directorsDirectors
PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”)Company) as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017,2018, and the related notes (collectively, the “consolidatedconsolidated financial statements”)statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017,2018, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”)(PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission, and our report dated February 27, 2018March 12, 2019 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Basis for Opinion
These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the consolidated financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
/s/ KPMG LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2007.
Norfolk, Virginia
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019



PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 20172018 and 20162017
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
2017 20162018 2017
Assets      
Cash and cash equivalents$120,516
 $94,287
$98,695
 $120,516
Investments78,290
 68,543
45,173
 78,290
Finance receivables, net2,771,921
 2,307,969
3,084,777
 2,776,199
Other receivables, net15,770
 11,650
46,157
 15,770
Income taxes receivable21,686
 9,427
16,809
 21,686
Net deferred tax asset57,529
 28,482
61,453
 56,459
Property and equipment, net49,311
 38,744
54,136
 49,311
Goodwill526,513
 499,911
464,116
 526,513
Intangible assets, net23,572
 27,935
5,522
 23,572
Other assets32,656
 33,808
32,721
 32,656
Assets held for sale
 43,243
Total assets$3,697,764
 $3,163,999
$3,909,559
 $3,700,972
Liabilities and Equity      
Liabilities:      
Accounts payable$4,992
 $2,459
$6,110
 $4,992
Accrued expenses85,993
 82,699
79,396
 85,993
Income taxes payable10,771
 19,631
15,080
 10,771
Net deferred tax liability171,185
 258,344
114,979
 171,185
Interest-bearing deposits98,580
 76,113
82,666
 98,580
Borrowings2,170,182
 1,784,101
2,473,656
 2,170,182
Other liabilities9,018
 10,821
7,370
 9,018
Liabilities held for sale
 4,220
Total liabilities2,550,721
 2,238,388
2,779,257
 2,550,721
   
Redeemable noncontrolling interest9,534
 8,448
6,333
 9,534
Equity:
 

 
Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 2,000 shares authorized, no shares issued and outstanding
 

 
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 45,189 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017; 100,000 shares authorized, 46,356 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2016452
 464
Common stock, $0.01 par value, 100,000 shares authorized, 45,304 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2018; 100,000 shares authorized, 45,189 shares issued and outstanding at December 31, 2017453
 452
Additional paid-in capital53,870
 66,414
60,303
 53,870
Retained earnings1,211,632
 1,049,367
1,276,473
 1,214,840
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(178,607) (251,944)(242,109) (178,607)
Total stockholders' equity - PRA Group, Inc.1,087,347
 864,301
1,095,120
 1,090,555
Noncontrolling interest50,162
 52,862
Noncontrolling interests28,849
 50,162
Total equity1,137,509
 917,163
1,123,969
 1,140,717
Total liabilities and equity$3,697,764
 $3,163,999
$3,909,559
 $3,700,972
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Income Statements
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Revenues:          
Income recognized on finance receivables, net$780,803
 $745,119
 $865,122
Income recognized on finance receivables$891,899
 $795,435
 $845,142
Fee income24,916
 77,381
 64,383
14,916
 24,916
 77,381
Other revenue7,855
 8,080
 12,513
1,441
 7,855
 8,080
Total revenues813,574
 830,580
 942,018
908,256
 828,206
 930,603
     
Net allowance charges(33,425) (11,898) (98,479)
     
Operating expenses:          
Compensation and employee services273,033
 258,846
 268,345
319,400
 273,033
 258,846
Legal collection expenses119,398
 132,202
 129,456
Legal collection fees42,941
 43,351
 47,717
Legal collection costs104,988
 76,047
 84,485
Agency fees35,530
 44,922
 32,188
33,854
 35,530
 44,922
Outside fees and services62,792
 63,098
 65,155
61,492
 62,792
 63,098
Communication33,132
 33,771
 33,113
43,224
 33,132
 33,771
Rent and occupancy14,823
 15,710
 14,714
16,906
 14,823
 15,710
Depreciation and amortization19,763
 24,359
 19,874
19,322
 19,763
 24,359
Other operating expenses44,103
 39,466
 68,829
47,444
 44,103
 39,466
Total operating expenses602,574
 612,374
 631,674
689,571
 602,574
 612,374
          
Income from operations211,000
 218,206
 310,344
185,260
 213,734
 219,750
          
Other income and (expense):          
Gain on sale of subsidiaries48,474
 
 
26,575
 48,474
 
Interest expense, net(98,041) (80,864) (60,336)(121,078) (98,041) (80,864)
Foreign exchange (loss)/gain(1,104) 2,564
 7,514
(944) (1,104) 2,564
Other(2,790) (5,823) 
(316) (2,790) (5,823)
Income before income taxes157,539
 134,083
 257,522
89,497
 160,273
 135,627
Income tax (benefit)/expense(11,536) 43,191
 89,391
Income tax expense/(benefit)13,763
 (10,852) 43,577
Net income169,075
 90,892
 168,131
75,734
 171,125
 92,050
Adjustment for net income attributable to noncontrolling interests6,810
 5,795
 205
10,171
 6,810
 5,795
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$162,265
 $85,097
 $167,926
$65,563
 $164,315
 $86,255
          
Net income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:     
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:     
Basic$3.55
 $1.84
 $3.49
$1.45
 $3.60
 $1.86
Diluted$3.54
 $1.83
 $3.47
$1.44
 $3.59
 $1.86
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:          
Basic45,671
 46,316
 48,128
45,280
 45,671
 46,316
Diluted45,823
 46,388
 48,405
45,413
 45,823
 46,388
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.


PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016
(Amounts in thousands)
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Net income$169,075
 $90,892
 $168,131
$75,734
 $171,125
 $92,050
Other comprehensive income/(loss):          
Change in foreign currency translation67,858
 (14,559) (119,043)(63,544) 67,858
 (14,559)
Total comprehensive income236,933
 76,333
 49,088
12,190
 238,983
 77,491
Comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest:     
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest6,810
 5,795
 205
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests:     
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests10,171
 6,810
 5,795
Change in foreign currency translation(5,478) 8,490
 (6,132)(42) (5,478) 8,490
Comprehensive income/(loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest1,332
 14,285
 (5,927)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interests10,129
 1,332
 14,285
Comprehensive income attributable to PRA Group, Inc.$235,601
 $62,048
 $55,015
$2,061
 $237,651
 $63,206
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016
(Amounts in thousands)
Common Stock Additional Paid-in Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated  Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss) Noncontrolling Interest Total EquityCommon Stock Additional Paid-in Capital Retained Earnings Accumulated  Other Comprehensive (Loss) Noncontrolling Interests Total Equity
Shares Amount Shares Amount 
                          
Balance at December 31, 201449,577
 $496
 $111,659
 $906,010
 $(115,950) $
 $902,215
Components of comprehensive income:             
Net income
 
 
 167,926
 
 205
 168,131
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (112,911) (6,132) (119,043)
Initial noncontrolling interest related to business acquisition
 
 
 
 
 45,181
 45,181
Vesting of restricted stock279
 3
 (3) 
 
 
 
Repurchase and cancellation of common stock(3,683) (37) (55,798) (109,666) 
 
 (165,501)
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 16,325
 
 
 
 16,325
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 4,386
 
 
 
 4,386
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (11,947) 
 
 
 (11,947)
Balance at December 31, 201546,173
 $462
 $64,622
 $964,270
 $(228,861) $39,254
 $839,747
46,173
 $462
 $64,622
 $964,270
 $(228,861) $39,254
 $839,747
Components of comprehensive income:                          
Net income
 
 
 85,097
 
 6,018
 91,115

 
 
 86,255
 
 6,018
 92,273
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (23,083) 8,524
 (14,559)
 
 
 
 (23,083) 8,524
 (14,559)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (934) (934)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (934) (934)
Vesting of restricted stock183
 2
 (2) 
 
 
 
183
 2
 (2) 
 
 
 
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 6,138
 
 
 
 6,138
Share-based compensation expense
 
 6,138
 
 
 
 6,138
Excess income tax benefit from share-based compensation
 
 (1,494) 
 
 
 (1,494)
 
 (1,494) 
 
 
 (1,494)
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (2,850) 
 
 
 (2,850)
 
 (2,850) 
 
 
 (2,850)
Balance at December 31, 201646,356
 $464
 $66,414
 $1,049,367
 $(251,944) $52,862
 $917,163
46,356
 $464
 $66,414
 $1,050,525
 $(251,944) $52,862
 $918,321
Components of comprehensive income:                          
Net income
 
 
 162,265
 
 6,587
 168,852

 
 
 164,315
 
 6,587
 170,902
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 73,337
 (7,202) 66,135

 
 
 
 73,337
 (7,202) 66,135
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (2,085) (2,085)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (2,085) (2,085)
Vesting of restricted stock145
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
145
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
Repurchase and cancellation of common stock(1,312) (13) (44,896) 
 
 
 (44,909)(1,312) (13) (44,896) 
 
 
 (44,909)
Amortization of share-based compensation
 
 8,678
 
 
 
 8,678
Share-based compensation expense
 
 8,678
 
 
 
 8,678
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (3,022) 
 
 
 (3,022)
 
 (3,022) 
 
 
 (3,022)
Component of convertible debt
 
 44,910
 
 
 
 44,910

 
 44,910
 
 
 
 44,910
Deferred taxes on component of convertible debt
 
 (18,213) 
 
 
 (18,213)
 
 (18,213) 
 
 
 (18,213)
Balance at December 31, 201745,189
 $452
 $53,870
 $1,211,632
 $(178,607) $50,162
 $1,137,509
45,189
 $452
 $53,870
 $1,214,840
 $(178,607) $50,162
 $1,140,717
Cumulative effect of change in accounting principle - equity securities (1)

 
 
 (3,930) 
 
 (3,930)
Balance at January 1, 201845,189
 $452
 $53,870
 $1,210,910
 $(178,607) $50,162
 $1,136,787
Components of comprehensive income:             
Net income
 
 
 65,563
 
 10,171
 75,734
Foreign currency translation adjustment
 
 
 
 (63,502) (42) (63,544)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 (33,271) (33,271)
Purchase of noncontrolling interest
 
 
 
 
 1,829
 1,829
Vesting of restricted stock115
 1
 (1) 
 
 
 
Share-based compensation expense
 
 8,521
 
 
 
 8,521
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes
 
 (2,087) 
 
 
 (2,087)
Balance at December 31, 201845,304
 $453
 $60,303
 $1,276,473
 $(242,109) $28,849
 $1,123,969
(1) Relates to the adoption of ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities" ("ASU 2016-01"). Refer to Note 3 for further detail.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016
(Amounts in thousands)
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Cash flows from operating activities:          
Net income$169,075
 $90,892
 $168,131
$75,734
 $171,125
 $92,050
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:          
Amortization of share-based compensation8,678
 6,138
 16,325
Share-based compensation expense8,521
 8,678
 6,138
Depreciation and amortization19,763
 24,359
 19,874
19,322
 19,763
 24,359
Gain on sale of subsidiaries(48,474) 
 
(26,575) (48,474) 
Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs18,152
 10,276
 4,260
22,057
 18,152
 10,276
Impairment of investments1,745
 5,823
 

 1,745
 5,823
Deferred tax benefit(130,822) (21,700) (8,569)(56,208) (130,138) (21,314)
Net foreign currency transaction gain(1,098) (2,364) (7,514)
Net unrealized foreign currency transaction loss/(gain)5,730
 (1,098) (2,364)
Fair value in earnings for equity securities(3,502) 
 
Net allowance charges33,425
 11,898
 98,479
Other(4,033) 
 

 (4,033) 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:          
Other assets(460) 1,861
 2,015
(2,180) (460) 1,861
Other receivables, net(3,461) 10,016
 (18,124)(4,269) (3,461) 10,016
Accounts payable2,743
 (2,087) 786
1,321
 2,743
 (2,087)
Income taxes payable/receivable, net(22,715) (13,663) 10,121
Income taxes receivable/(payable), net9,390
 (22,715) (13,663)
Accrued expenses(5,752) (9,724) 17,246
(1,334) (5,752) (9,724)
Other liabilities(2,498) 6,053
 (1,553)(566) (2,498) 6,053
Net cash provided by operating activities843
 105,880
 202,998
80,866
 15,475
 205,903
Cash flows from investing activities:          
Purchases of property and equipment(22,840) (14,160) (14,454)(20,521) (22,840) (14,160)
Acquisition of finance receivables, net of buybacks(1,086,029) (890,803) (954,954)
Acquisition of finance receivables(1,105,759) (1,086,029) (890,803)
Collections applied to principal on finance receivables731,802
 746,867
 674,373
733,306
 717,170
 646,844
Business acquisitions, net of cash acquired
 (60,241) (1,423)
 
 (60,241)
Cash received upon consolidation of Polish investment fund17,531
 
 
Proceeds from sale of subsidiaries, net93,304
 
 
4,905
 93,304
 
Purchase of investments(6,688) (6,052) (48,085)(42,622) (6,688) (6,052)
Proceeds from sales and maturities of investments10,123
 6,898
 62,217
25,909
 10,123
 6,898
Net cash used in investing activities(280,328) (217,491) (282,326)(387,251) (294,960) (317,514)
Cash flows from financing activities:          
Proceeds from lines of credit1,260,161
 985,751
 790,967
737,464
 1,260,161
 985,751
Principal payments on lines of credit(1,549,833) (1,007,234) (463,733)(403,348) (1,549,833) (1,007,234)
Repurchases of common stock(44,909) 
 (165,501)
 (44,909) 
Tax withholdings related to share-based payments(3,022) (2,850) (11,947)(2,087) (3,022) (2,850)
Payments of origination costs and fees(18,240) (17,539) (5,000)(2,260) (18,240) (17,539)
Cash paid for purchase of portion of noncontrolling interest(1,664) 
 
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest(1,429) (934) 
(14,486) (1,429) (934)
Proceeds from long-term debt310,000
 297,893
 

 310,000
 297,893
Principal payments on notes payable and long-term debt(15,021) (193,580) (47,374)(10,000) (15,021) (193,580)
Net increase in interest-bearing deposits12,991
 32,905
 22,721
Net (decrease)/increase in interest-bearing deposits(8,693) 12,991
 32,905
Proceeds from convertible debt345,000
 
 

 345,000
 
Net cash provided by financing activities295,698
 94,412
 120,133
294,926
 295,698
 94,412
Effect of exchange rate on cash10,016
 40,114
 (9,094)(10,362) 10,016
 40,114
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents26,229
 22,915
 31,711
Net (decrease)/increase in cash and cash equivalents(21,821) 26,229
 22,915
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year94,287
 71,372
 39,661
120,516
 94,287
 71,372
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year$120,516
 $94,287
 $71,372
$98,695
 $120,516
 $94,287
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:          
Cash paid for interest$79,825
 $67,987
 $49,777
$97,475
 $79,825
 $67,987
Cash paid for income taxes144,341
 78,754
 86,255
73,483
 144,341
 78,754
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements


1. General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies:
Nature of operations: As used herein, the terms "PRA Group," the "Company," or similar terms refer to PRA Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries.
PRA Group, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries, is a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas and Europe. The Company's primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. The Company also provides the following fee-based services:services on class action claims recovery servicesrecoveries and purchases;by servicing of consumer bankruptcy accounts in the United States ("U.S."); and, to a lesser extent, contingent collections of nonperforming loans in Europe and South America. As discussed in Note 17, the Company sold its government services businesses in January 2017 and its vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery business in June 2017.
Recent acquisitions: On April 26, 2016, the Company completed its public tender offer to purchase 100% of the shares of DTP S.A . ("DTP"), a Polish-based debt collection company, for approximately $44.9 million. The Company's consolidated income statements and statements of comprehensive income, equity and cash flows include the results of operations of DTP for the period from April 26, 2016 through December 31, 2017.
On August 3, 2015, the Company acquired 55% of the equity interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"). The remaining 45% of the equity interest in RCB is owned by the executive team and previous owners of RCB. RCB is a leading master servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil. The Company's investment for the 55% ownership of RCB was approximately $55.2 million. As part of the investment and call option agreements, the Company has the right to purchase the remaining 45% of RCB at certain multiples of earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA"), beginning on August 3, 2019 and lasting for two years. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") Topic 810, "Consolidation," the Company has consolidated all financial statement accounts of RCB in its consolidated balance sheets and its consolidated income statements. The consolidated income statements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, include the results of operations of RCB from August 3, 2015 through December 31, 2017. The noncontrolling interest amount is included as a separate component of equity and represents the 45% interest not controlled by the Company. In addition, net income attributable to the noncontrolling interest is stated separately in the consolidated income statements for the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
Basis of presentation: The consolidated financial statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and include the accounts of all of its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect reported amounts and disclosures. Realized results could differ from those estimates and assumptions.
Reclassification of prior year presentation and correction of immaterial errors: Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. In addition, certain prior year amounts have been revised to correct immaterial errors. For additional information on the correction of the immaterial errors see Note 17.
The Company revised the presentation of its consolidated income statements for all reporting periods by reclassifying allowance adjustments to the valuation of its finance receivables as a line item separate from revenues. As a result, the Company no longer includes valuation allowances as part of "Income recognized on finance receivables, net" and reports income recognized on finance receivables gross of valuation allowances. This presentation change had no impact on "Net income per common share attributable to PRA Group, Inc." The Company also revised the presentation in its consolidated statement of cash flows for all reporting periods by reclassifying net allowance charges on its finance receivables from investing activities to operating activities. This presentation change had no other impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements.
Segments: Under the guidance of the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") ASC Topic 280 "Segment Reporting" ("ASC 280"), the Company has determined that it has several operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of ASC 280, and, therefore, it has one reportable segment, accounts receivable management, based on similarities among the operating units including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or class of customer for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products and services, and the nature of the regulatory environment.
Foreign currency: Assets and liabilities have been translated to the reporting currency using the exchange rates in effect on the consolidated balance sheet dates. Equity accounts are translated at historical rates, except for the change in retained earnings during the year which is the result of the income statement translation process. Revenue and expense accounts are translated using the weighted average exchange rate during the period. The cumulative translation adjustments associated with the net assets of foreign subsidiaries are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss(loss) in the accompanying consolidated statements of changes in equity.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Revenues and long-lived assets by geographical location: Revenue for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 2015,2016, and long-lived assets held at December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, by geographical location (amounts in thousands) were:
Years Ended December 31, As of December 31,Years Ended December 31, As of December 31,
2017 2016 2015 2017 20162018 2017 2016 2018 2017
Revenues Long-Lived AssetsRevenues Long-Lived Assets
United States$553,957
 $584,816
 $722,393
 $41,850
 $29,598
$619,172
 $560,278
 $673,881
 $48,581
 $41,850
United Kingdom81,598
 76,301
 73,669
 2,445
 3,417
99,817
 81,322
 78,930
 1,543
 2,445
Others (1)
178,019
 169,463
 145,956
 5,016
 5,729
189,267
 186,606
 177,792
 4,012
 5,016
Total$813,574
 $830,580
 $942,018
 $49,311
 $38,744
$908,256
 $828,206
 $930,603
 $54,136
 $49,311
(1)(1) None of the countries included in "Others" comprise greater than ten percent10% of the Company's consolidated revenues or long-lived assets.
Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of the related operations. Long-lived assets consist of net property and equipment. The Company reports revenues earned from its debtnonperforming loan purchasing and collection activities, fee-based
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

services and its fee-based services.investments. It is impracticable for the Company to report further breakdowns of revenues from external customers by product or service.
Cash and cash equivalents: The Company considers all highly liquid investments with a maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. Included in cash and cash equivalents are funds held on the behalf of others arising from the collection of accounts placed with the Company. The balance of the funds held on behalf of others was $0.2 million and $3.8 million at December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively; there is an offsetting liability that is included in "Other liabilities" on the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.
Concentrations of credit risk: Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash, investments and finance receivables.
Accumulated other comprehensive income/(loss): The Company records unrealized gains and losses on certain available-for-sale investments and foreign currency translation adjustments in other comprehensive income. Unrealized gains and losses on available for sale investments are reclassified to earnings as the gains or losses are realized upon sale of the securities. Translation gains or losses on foreign currency translation adjustments are reclassified to earnings upon the substantial sale or liquidation of investments in foreign operations. For the Company’s financial derivative instruments that are designated as hedging instruments, the change in fair value of the derivative is recorded in other comprehensive income.
Investments:
Investments: Debt Securities.The Company accounts for its investments in debt securities under the guidance of ASC Topic 320-10,320, "Investments-Debt and Equity Securities" ("ASC 320-10"320"). The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt and equity securities at the time of purchase and reevaluates such determinations at each balance sheet date. Debt securities are classified as held to maturity when the Company has the positive intent and ability to hold the securities to maturity. Debt securities for which the Company does not have the intent or ability to hold to maturity are classified as available for sale. Held-to-maturity securities are statedcarried at amortized cost. Available for sale securities are carried at fair market value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, included in the determination of comprehensive income and reported in stockholders' equity. If the fair value of the investment falls below its carrying amount and the decline is deemed to be other than temporary, the investment is written down, with a corresponding charge to earnings.
Equity Securities. The Company accounts for its investments in equity securities in accordance with ASC Topic 321, “Investments-Equity Securities” (“ASC 321”), which requires that investments in equity securities be measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings. The Company's investment in equity securities have historically been carried at cost. In the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-01, which requires that investments in equity securities be measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings. See Note 3 for additional information.
Equity Method Investments.Equity method investments that are not consolidated, but over which the Company exercises significant influence, are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. Whether or not the Company exercises significant influence with respect to an investee company depends on an evaluation of several factors including, among others, representation on the investee company’s board of directors and ownership level, which is generally a 20% to 50% interest in the voting securities of the investee company. Under the equity method of accounting, an investee company’s accounts are not reflected within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets and income statements; however, the Company’s share of the earnings or losses of the investee company is reflected in the caption ‘‘Other revenue’’ in the consolidated income statements. The Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reflected in the caption ‘‘Investments’’ in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.
When the Company’s carrying value in an equity method investee company is reduced to zero, no further losses are recorded in the Company’s consolidated financial statements unless the Company guaranteed obligations of the investee company or has committed additional funding. When the investee company subsequently reports income, the Company will not record its share of such income until it equals the amount of its share of losses not previously recognized.
Finance receivables and income recognition: The Company accounts for its investment in finance receivables under the guidance of ASC Topic 310-30, "Loans and Debt Securities Acquired with Deteriorated Credit Quality" ("ASC 310-30"). The Company acquires portfolios of accounts that have experienced deterioration of credit quality between origination and the Company's acquisition of the accounts. The amount paid for a portfolio reflects the Company's determination that it is probable the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to an account's contractual terms. At acquisition, the Company reviews the accounts to determine whether there is evidence of deterioration of credit quality since origination, and if it is probable that the Company will be unable to collect all amounts due according to the loan's contractual terms. If both conditions exist, the Company then determines whether each such account is to be accounted for individually or whether such accounts will be assembled into pools based on common risk characteristics. The Company considers expected prepayments and estimates the amount and timing of undiscounted expected principal, interest and other cash flows (expected at acquisition) for each acquired portfolio based
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

on the Company's proprietary models, and the Company subsequently aggregates portfolios of accounts into quarterly pools. The Company determines the excess of the pool's scheduled contractual principal and contractual interest payments over all cash flows expected at acquisition as an amount that should not be accreted (nonaccretable difference). The remaining amount, representing the excess of the pool's cash flows expected to be collected over the amount paid, is accreted into income recognized on finance receivables over the remaining estimated life of the pool (accretable yield). ASC 310-30 requires that the excess of the contractual cash flows
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

over expected cash flows, based on the Company's estimates derived from proprietary collection models, not be recognized as an adjustment of revenue or expense or on the balance sheet.
Each pool is recorded at cost and is accounted for as a single unit for the recognition of income, payments applied to principal and loss provision. Once a pool is established for a calendar quarter, individual receivable accounts are not added to the pool (unless replaced by the seller) or removed from the pool (unless sold or returned to the seller). The yield is estimated and periodically recalculated based on the timing and amount of anticipated cash flows. Income on finance receivables is accrued quarterly based on each pool's effective yield. Significant increases in expected future cash flows may be recognized prospectively, through an upward adjustment of the yield, over a pool's remaining life. Under ASC 310-30, rather than lowering the estimated yield if the collection estimates are below previous expectations, the carrying value of a pool would be written down to maintain the then current yield and is shown as a reduction in revenuean allowance charge in the consolidated income statements with a corresponding valuation allowance offsetting finance receivables net, on the consolidated balance sheets. Cash flows greater than the interest accrual will reduce the carrying value of the pool. This reduction in carrying value is defined as payments applied to principal (also referred to as principal amortization). Likewise, cash flows that are less than the interest accrual will accrete the carrying balance. Generally, the Company does not record accretion in the first six to twelve months of the estimated life of the pool; accordingly, the Company utilizes either the cost recovery method or cash method when necessary to prevent accretion as permitted by ASC 310-30. Under the cash method, revenue is recognized as it would be under the interest method up to the amount of cash collections. Under the cost recovery method, no revenue is recognized until the Company has fully collected the cost of the pool, or until such time that the Company considers the collections to be probable and estimable and begins to recognize income based on the interest method as described above. The Company also uses the cost recovery method when collections on a particular pool of accounts cannot be reasonably estimated.
A pool can become fully amortized (zero carrying balance on the balance sheet) while still generating cash collections. In this case, all subsequent cash collections are recognized as revenue when received.
The Company records a valuation allowance when significant decreases in expected cash flows are identified or there are changes in the timing of expected cash flows that would otherwise require a reduction in the stated yield on a pool of accounts. Factors that may contribute to the recording of valuation allowances include both external and internal factors. External factors that may have an impact on the collectability, and subsequently on the overall profitability of purchased pools of nonperforming loans, would include:include new laws or regulations relating to collections, new interpretations of existing laws or regulations, and the overall condition of the economy. Internal factors that may have an impact on the collectability, and subsequently the overall profitability of purchased pools of nonperforming loans, would include:include necessary revisions to initial and post-acquisition scoring and modeling estimates, non-optimal operational activities (which relate to the collection and movement of accounts on both the collection floor of the Company and external channels), and decreases in productivity related to turnover and tenure of the Company's collection staff.
The Company capitalizes certain fees paid to third parties related to the direct acquisition of a portfolio of accounts. These fees are added to the acquisition cost of the portfolio and accordingly are amortized over the life of the portfolio using the interest method.
The agreements to purchase the aforementioned receivables include general representations and warranties from the sellers covering account holder death or bankruptcy and accounts settled or disputed prior to sale. The representation and warranty period permitting the return of these accounts from the Company to the seller is typically 90 to 180 days. Any funds received from the seller as a return of purchase price are referred to as buybacks. Buyback funds are applied against the finance receivable balance received and are not included in the Company's cash collections from operations. In some cases, the seller will replace the returned accounts with new accounts in lieu of returning the purchase price. In that case, the old account is removed from the pool and the new account is added.
Fee income recognition: The Company utilizes the provisions of Topic 13A1 of Staff Accounting Bulletin ("SAB") No. 104, “Revenue Recognition” ("Topic 13A1") to account for fee income revenue from its class action claims recovery services. Topic 13A1 requires an analysis to be completed to determine if persuasive evidence of an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the seller’s price to the buyer is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Property and equipment: Property and equipment, including improvements that significantly add to the productive capacity or extend useful life, are recorded at cost. Maintenance and repairs are expensed currently.as incurred. Property and equipment are depreciated over their useful lives using the straight-line method of depreciation. Software and computer equipment are amortized or depreciated over three to five years. Furniture and fixtures are depreciated over five to ten years. Equipment is depreciated over five to seven years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of the useful life, which ranges from three to ten years, or the remaining term of the lease. Building improvements are depreciated straight-line over ten to thirty-nine years. When property is
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and any gain or loss is included in the income statement.
Business combinations: The Company accounts for business combinations under the acquisition method. The cost of an acquired company is assigned to the tangible and intangible assets acquired and the liabilities assumed on the basis of their fair values at the date of acquisition. The determination of fair values of assets acquired and liabilities assumed requires management to make estimates and use valuation techniques when market values are not readily available. Any excess of purchase price over the fair value of net tangible and intangible assets acquired is allocated to goodwill. Transaction costs associated with business combinations are expensed as incurred.
Goodwill and intangible assets: Goodwill, in accordance with ASC Topic 350, "Intangibles-Goodwill and Other" ("ASC 350"), is not amortized but rather is reviewed for impairment annually or more frequently if indicators of potential impairment exist. The Company performs its annual assessment as of October 1. The Company may first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. If management concludes that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, management conducts a two-step quantitative goodwill impairment test. The first step of the impairment test involves comparing the fair value of the applicable reporting unit with its carrying value. The Company estimates the fair values of its reporting units using a combination of the income approach, which uses present value techniques, and the market approach, which uses market multiples from comparable transactions where the acquisition target has similar operating and investment characteristics to the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of a reporting unit exceeds the reporting unit's fair value, management performs the second step of the goodwill impairment test. The second step of the goodwill impairment test involves comparing the implied fair value of the affected reporting unit's goodwill with the carrying value of that goodwill. The amount by which the carrying value of the goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, if any, is recognized as an impairment loss. See Note 5 for additional information.
Convertible senior notes: The Company accounts for its 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 (the "2020 Notes") and its 3.50% ConveritibleConvertible Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes" and, together with the 2020 Notes, the "Notes") in accordance with ASC 470-20, "Debt with Conversion and Other Options" ("ASC 470-20"). ASC 470-20 requires that, for convertible debt instruments that must be settled fully or partially in cash upon conversion, issuers must separately account for the liability and equity components in a manner that will reflect the entity's nonconvertible debt borrowing rate when interest cost is recognized in subsequent periods. The excess of the principal amount of the liability component over its carrying amount is amortized to interest expense over the expected life of a similar liability that does not have an associated equity component, using the effective interest method. The equity component is not remeasured as long as it continues to meet the conditions for equity classification under ASC 815-40, "Derivatives and Hedging - Contracts in an Entity's Own Equity." Transaction costs incurred with third parties are allocated to the liability and equity components in proportion to the allocation of proceeds and accounted for as debt issuance costs and equity issuance costs, respectively.
For diluted earnings per share purposes, based upon the Company's intent and ability to settle conversions of the Notes through a combination of cash and shares, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72 for the 2020 Notes or $46.24 for the 2023 Notes, neither of which occurred during the respective periods from when the Notes were issued through December 31, 2017.2018.
Income taxes: The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 740 "Income Taxes" ("ASC 740") as it relates to the provision for income taxes and uncertainty in income taxes. Accordingly, the Company records a tax provision for the anticipated tax consequences of the reported results of operations. The provision for income taxes is estimated using the asset and liability method, under which deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial reporting and tax basis of assets and liabilities, and for operating losses and tax credit carry-forwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using the currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which those tax assets are expected to be realized or settled.
The evaluation of a tax position in accordance with the guidance is a two-step process. The first step is recognition: the enterprise determines whether it is more-likely-than-not that a tax position will be sustained upon examination, including resolution of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. In evaluating whether a tax position
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

has met the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold, the enterprise should presume that the position will be examined by the appropriate taxing authority that would have full knowledge of all relevant information. The second step is measurement: a tax position that meets the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold is measured to determine the amount of benefit to recognize in the financial statements. The tax position is measured as the largest amount of benefit that is greater than 50 percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement. Tax positions that previously failed to meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be recognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is met. Previously recognized tax
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

positions that no longer meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be derecognized in the first subsequent financial reporting period in which that threshold is no longer met. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense when positions are not met.
In the event that all or part of the deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, a valuation allowance would be established and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made. If the Company subsequently realizes deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings.
The estimate of income tax expense involves significant judgment in evaluating the impact of uncertainties in the application of complex tax laws. Resolution of these uncertainties in a manner inconsistent with our expectations could have a material impact on our results of operations and financial position.
For tax purposes, the Company utilized the cost recovery method of accounting for its finance receivable income through December 31, 2016. Under the cost recovery method, collections on finance receivables are applied first to principal to reduce the finance receivables balance to zero before taxable income is recognized. Beginning with the 2017 tax year, the Company utilizes a new tax accounting method to recognize net finance receivables income. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections amortize principal and the remaining portion is taxable income. The deferred tax liability related to the difference in timing between the new method and the cost recovery method will be incorporated evenly into the Company’s tax filings over four years. For additional information, see Note 13.12.
Advertising costs: Advertising costs are expensed when incurred.
Operating leases: General abatements or prepaid leasing costs are recognized on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. Future minimum lease payments (including the impact of rent escalations) are expensed on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease. Material leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the remaining life of the lease.
Share-based compensation: The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with the provisions of ASC Topic 718 "Compensation-Stock Compensation" ("ASC 718"). ASC 718 requires that compensation expense associated with share equity awards be recognized in the income statement. Based on historical experience, theThe Company estimates a forfeiture rate for most equity share grants.grants based on historical experience. Time-based equity share awards generally vest between one and three years from the grant date and are expensed on a straight-line basis over the vesting period. Equity share awards that contain a performance metric, are expensed over the requisite service period, generally three years, in accordance with the performance level achieved at each reporting period. See Note 9 for additional information.
Derivatives: In the normal course of business, the Company is subject to risk from adverse fluctuations in foreign exchange and interest rates. The Company manages these risks through a program that includes the use of derivative financial instruments, primarily swaps and forwards. Counterparties to these contracts are major financial institutions. The Company is exposed to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by these counterparties. The Company does not use derivative instruments for trading or speculative purposes.
The Company's objective in managing exposure to market risk is to limit the impact on earnings and cash flow. The extent to which the Company uses derivative financial instruments is dependent on its access to these contracts in the financial markets and its success using other methods, such as netting exposures in the same currencies to mitigate foreign exchange risk.
The Company follows the guidance of ASC Topic 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" ("ASC 815") to account for its derivatives and recordsderivatives. All of the Company's outstanding derivative financial instruments are recognized in the balance sheet at their fair valuevalues. The effect on its consolidated balance sheets. The Company'searnings from recognizing the fair values of these derivative financial instruments depends on their intended use, their hedge designation, and their effectiveness in offsetting changes in the fair values of the exposures they are hedging. Changes in the fair values of instruments designated to reduce or eliminate adverse fluctuations in the fair values of recognized assets and liabilities and unrecognized firm commitments are reported currently in earnings along with changes in the fair values of the hedged items. Changes in the effective portions of the fair values of instruments used to reduce or eliminate adverse fluctuations in cash flows of anticipated or forecasted transactions are reported in equity as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income. Amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income are reclassified to earnings when the related hedged items affect earnings
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

or the anticipated transactions are no longer probable. Changes in the fair values of derivative instruments that are not designated as hedges or do not qualify for hedge accounting treatment are reported currently in earnings. The Company realizes gains and losses from derivative instruments in the same financial statement line item as the hedged item/forecasted transaction. Changes in unrealized gains and losses for derivatives not designated in a hedge accounting relationship are recorded directly in earnings each period and are also recorded in the same financial statement line item as the hedged item/forecasted transaction. Cash flows from the settlement of derivatives, including both economic hedges and those designated in hedge accounting relationships, appear in the consolidated statements of cash flows in the same categories as the cash flows of the hedged item.
For derivative financial instruments accounted for as hedging instruments, under ASC 815. Therefore,the Company formally designates and documents, at inception, the financial instrument as a hedge of a specific underlying exposure, the risk management objective, and the manner in which effectiveness of the hedge will be assessed. The Company formally assesses, both at inception and at each reporting period thereafter, whether the realized gainderivative financial instruments used in hedging transactions are effective in offsetting changes in fair value or loss andcash flows of the related underlying exposures. Any ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the instruments is recognized immediately in earnings.
The Company discontinues the use of hedge accounting prospectively when (1) the derivative instrument are recordedis no longer effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of the underlying hedged item; (2) the derivative instrument expires, is sold, terminated, or exercised; or (3) designating the derivative instrument as interest expense in the Company's consolidated financial statements.a hedge is no longer appropriate.
Use of estimates: The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.
Significant estimates have been made by management with respect to the timing and amount of future cash collections of the Company's finance receivables portfolios. Actual results could differ from these estimates making it reasonably possible that a change in these estimates could occur within one year.
Commitments and contingencies: The Company is subject to various claims and contingencies related to lawsuits, certain taxes, and commitments under contractual and other obligations. The Company recognizes liabilities for contingencies and commitments when a loss is probable and estimable. The Company expenses related legal costs as incurred. For additional information, see Note 14.13.
Estimated fair value of financial instruments: The Company applies the provisions of ASC Topic 820 "Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures" ("ASC 820"). ASC 820 defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values. Disclosure of the estimated fair values of financial instruments often requires the use of estimates. See Note 8 for additional information.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Reclassification of prior year presentation: Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation.
Recent accounting pronouncements:
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Adopted:
In May 2014, FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU")ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09") that updates the principles for recognizing revenue. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The guidance specifically excludes revenue received for servicing finance receivables. ASU 2014-09 also amends the required disclosures of the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. ASU 2014-09 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2017, and can be adopted either retrospectively to each prior reporting period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption, with early application not permitted. The Company believesdetermined that the revenue generated by its subsidiary Claims Compensation Bureau, LLC ("CCB") is within the scope of this standard. BasedThe Company adopted ASU 2014-09 in the first quarter of 2018 which had no material impact on the Company's evaluation, the Company believes the new standard will not impact the accounting for revenue generated by CCB.its consolidated financial statements.
In January 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-01, as amended by ASU 2018-03, "Financial Instruments - Overall: RecognitionTechnical Corrections and MeasurementImprovements", issued in February 2018, which revises the classification and measurement of investments in equity securities. ASU 2016-01 requires that equity investments, except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, be measured at fair value and changes in fair value be recognized in net income. However, for equity investments that do not have readily determinable fair values and do not qualify for the existing practical expedient to estimate fair value using the Net Asset Value ("NAV") per share (or its equivalent) of the investment, the guidance provides a new measurement alternative. Entities may
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

choose to measure those investments at cost, less any impairment, plus or minus changes resulting from observable price changes in orderly transactions for the identical or a similar investment of the same issuer. The Company adopted ASU 2016-01 in the first quarter of 2018, which resulted in a cumulative effect adjustment of $3.9 million, net of tax, to retained earnings for the unrealized loss on its equity investments.
In October 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-16, "Income Taxes - Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets and Financial Liabilities"Other Than Inventory" ("ASU 2016-01"2016-16"), which provides new guidance onrequires entities to recognize the recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosureincome tax consequences of financial assets and liabilities.an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoptionThe new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method which is permitted only for certain provisions.a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company believesadopted ASU 2016-01 will not have a material impact on its financial statements upon adoption2016-16 in the first quarter of 2018.2018 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In January 2017, FASB issued ASU-2017-01, "Business Combinations - Clarifying the Definition of a Business (Topic 805)" ("ASU 2017-01"). ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist companies with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The new guidance is expected to reduce the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated as businesses. The guidance applies to transactions that occur on or after an entity’s adoption date, the earliest of which is January 1, 2017. The Company adopted ASU 2017-01 in the first quarter of 2018 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In May 2017, FASB issued ASU 2017-09, "Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope of Modification Accounting" ("ASU 2017-09"). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when a change to the terms or conditions of a share-based payment award must be accounted for as a modification. The new guidance requires modification accounting if the fair value, vesting condition or the classification of the award is not the same immediately before and after a change to the terms and conditions of the award. The new guidance is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2017-09 in the first quarter of 2018 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In August 2017, FASB issued ASU 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging - Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" ("ASU 2017-12"). ASU 2017-12 modifies the presentation and disclosure of hedging results. Further, it provides partial relief on the timing of certain aspects of hedge documentation and eliminates the requirement to recognize hedge ineffectiveness separately in income. The amendments in ASU 2017-12 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018 and for interim periods therein. The Company adopted ASU 2017-12 in the second quarter of 2018 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other-Internal-Use Software" ("ASU 2018-15") which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted, including adoption in any interim period. The Company adopted ASU 2018-15 in the third quarter of 2018 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards Not Yet Adopted:
In February 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases (Topic 842) Section A - Leases: Amendments to the FASB Account Standards Codification" ("ASU 2016-02"). ASU 2016-02 requires that a lessee should recognize a both a liability to makefor future lease payments and a right-of-use asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years,years. In July 2018, FASB issued ASU 2018-10, "Codification Improvements to Topic 842, Leases" and ASU 2018-11, "Leases (Topic 842) Targeted Improvements" which among other things, allows for a transition method which eliminates the requirement to restate the earliest prior period presented in an entity's financial statements. Entities that elect this transition option still adopt the new lease standard using athe modified retrospective approach and early adoption is permitted. The Company is currentlytransition method required by the standard, but they recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings in the process of evaluating the impactperiod of adoption ofrather than in the ASU onearliest period presented. Entities that elect the alternative transition method will also be required to apply the legacy guidance in ASC Topic 840, "Leases", including its Consolidated Financial Statements. The Company currently discloses approximately $51.4 milliondisclosure requirements, in operating lease obligationsthe comparative periods presented in its lease commitments footnote (Note 4) and will evaluate those contracts as well as other existing arrangements to determine ifthe year they qualify for lease accounting underadopt the new leases standard. The Company does not planexpects to adopt the standard early.
In March 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-06, "Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Contingent Put and Call Options in Debt Instruments" ("ASU 2016-06"). Topic 815 requires that embedded derivatives be separated from the host contract and accounted for separately as derivatives if certain criteria are met, including the "clearly and closely related" criterion. ASU 2016-06 clarifies the requirements for assessing whether contingent call (put) options that can accelerate the payment of principal on debt instruments are clearly and closely related to their debt hosts. An entity performing the assessment under the amendments is required to assess the embedded call (put) options solely in accordance with the four-step decision sequence. The amendments in ASU 2016-06 apply to all entities that are issuers of or investors in debt instruments (or hybrid financial instruments that are determined to have a debt host) with embedded call (put) options. For public entities, this update is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company adopted ASU 2016-06 in the first quarter of 2017 which had no material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In March 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-09, "Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting" ("ASU 2016-09").2019 using this alternative transition method. The guidance eliminates additional paid in capital ("APIC") pools and requires companies to recognize all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. The standard also requires excess tax benefits to be presented as an operating activity on the statement of cash flows rather than as a financing activity. An entity mayCompany will elect to apply the change in presentation intransition package of practical expedients permitted within the statementnew standard, which among other things, allows it to carryforward the historical lease classification. In addition, the Company will elect the hindsight practical expedient to determine the reasonably certain lease term for existing leases. While the Company is continuing to assess all potential impacts of cash flows either prospectively or retrospectivelythe standard, it expects total assets and liabilities to all periods presented. The guidance also requires an employer to classify as a financing activity in its statement of cash flows the cash paid to a tax authority when shares are withheld to satisfy the employer’s statutory income tax withholding obligation using a retrospective approach. Further, the amendments allow an entity to make an accounting policy election to either estimate forfeitures or recognize forfeitures as they occur. If an election is made, the change to recognize forfeitures as they occur must be adopted using a modified retrospective approach with a cumulative effect adjustment recorded to opening retained earnings. ASU 2016-09 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years and early adoption is permitted. The Company adopted ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of 2017, which increased its provision for income taxesincrease by $2.1approximately $72.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2017, as a result of adopting the recognition of all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in its income statement.new standard. The Company applied the change in presentation to the statement of cash flows retrospectively for all periods presented after adoption date. The Company also elected to use an estimated forfeiture rate, based on historical data, to record its share-based compensation expense, which is consistent with its previous accounting treatment with respect to forfeitures. None of the other provisions of ASU 2016-09 had a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.estimate could
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

change due to operational changes in the lease portfolio, which could include lease volume, lease commencement dates, and renewal option and lease termination expectations. The Company does not believe the standard will have any other material effect on its consolidated financial statements.
In June 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-13, "Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326)" ("ASU 2016-13"). ASU 2016-13, which requires the measurement of expected credit losses for financial instruments held at the reporting date based on historical experience, current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts. The main objective of ASU 2016-13 is to provide financial statement users with more decision-useful information about the expected credit losses and recoveries on financial instruments and other commitments to extend creditmeasured at amortized cost held by a reporting entity at each reporting date. Under this model, an entity would recognize an allowance equal to its current estimate of all contractual cash flows that the entity does not expect to collect. The expected credit losses, and subsequent adjustments to such losses, will be recorded through an allowance account that is deducted from the amortized cost basis of the financial asset, with the net carrying value of the financial asset presented on the consolidated balance sheet at the amount expected to be collected. Revenue is recognized over the life of the portfolio at the initial effective interest rate. Subsequent changes in cash flow forecasts, on a present value basis, are adjusted through revenue. ASU 2016-13 supersedes ASC 310-30, which the Company currently follows to account for income recognized on its finance receivables. Financial assets accounted for under ASC 310-30 should use a prospective transition approach where upon adoption, the amortized cost basis should be adjusted to reflect the addition of the allowance for credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods within those fiscal years and allows for early adoption as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2018.  The Company expects ASU 2016-13, supersedes ASC Topic 310-30, whichincluding the Company currently follows to account for revenue on its finance receivables. Topic 310-30 provides an integrated model for revenue recognitioneffect of ongoing developments and impairment loss at an aggregated pool level. Under ASU 2016-13, changes in credit loss are required to be evaluated at a pool level by combining accounts of similar credit and risk characteristics. ASU 2016-13 does not permit pooling for income recognition for purchased credit deteriorated assets. In addition, ASU 2016-13 requires an allowance to be recorded upon acquisition of a purchased credit deteriorated ("PCD") asset. For PCD assets, the initial allowance for credit losses is addedamendments to the purchase price rather than being reported as a credit loss expense. Only subsequent changes in the allowance for credit losses are recorded as a credit loss expense for these assets. Accordingly, ASU 2016-13 couldguidance, will have a significant impact on how the Companyit measures and records net revenueincome recognized on its finance receivables.receivables and its balance sheet presentation. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13 on its consolidated financial statements.statements including accounting policy and operational implementation issues.
In August 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-15, "Statement of Cash Flows - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments (Topic 230)" ("ASU 2016-15"). ASU 2016-15 reduces diversity in practice of how certain transactions are classified in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance clarifies the classification of cash activity related to debt prepayment or debt extinguishment costs, settlement of zero-coupon debt instruments, contingent consideration payments made after a business combination, proceeds from the settlement of insurance claims, proceeds from the settlement of corporate and bank-owned life insurance policies, distributions received from equity-method investments, and beneficial interests in securitization transactions. The guidance also describes a predominance principle in which cash flows with aspects of more than one class that cannot be separated should be classified based on the activity that is likely to be the predominant source or use of cash flow. ASU 2016-15 is effective for the Company for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018. Early adoption is permitted, including adoption in an interim period, but requires all elements of the amendments to be adopted at once rather than individually. The new standard must be adopted using a retrospective transition method. The Company is currently indoes not expect the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of ASU 2016-15 on its consolidated financial statements.
In October 2016, FASB issued ASU 2016-16, "Income Taxes - Intra-Entity Transfers of Assets Other Than Inventory" ("ASU 2016-16"), which requires entities to recognize the income tax consequences of an intra-entity transfer of an asset other than inventory when the transfer occurs. The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of a fiscal year. The new standard must be adopted using a modified retrospective transition method which is a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the beginning of the first effective reporting period. The Company has determined the adoption of this standard will not have a significantmaterial impact on its consolidated financial statements.
In January 2017, FASB issued ASU-2017-01, "Business Combinations - Clarifying the Definition of a Business (Topic 805)" ("ASU 2017-01"). ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist companies with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The new guidance is expected to reduce the number of transactions that need to be further evaluated as businesses. The guidance applies to transactions that occur on or after an entity’s adoption date, the earliest of which is January 1, 2017. The Company did not complete a business combination in 2017.
In January 2017, FASB issued ASU No. 2017-04, "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment" ("ASU 2017-04"). ASU 2017-04 eliminates Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. Instead, an entity should perform its annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount. An entity should recognize an impairment charge for the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value; however, the loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. An entity still has the option to perform the qualitative assessment for a reporting unit to determine if the quantitative impairment test is necessary. ASU 2017-04 is effective for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2019, and early adoption is permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of ASU 2017-04 on its consolidated financial statements.
In May 2017,February 2018, the FASB issued ASU No. 2017-09, “Compensation–Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Scope2018-02, "Reclassification of Modification Accounting” (ASU 2017-09"Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income" ("ASU 2018-02"). ASU 2017-09 clarifies when a change toUnder existing GAAP, the terms or conditionseffects of a share-based payment award must be accounted forchanges in tax rates and laws on deferred tax balances are recorded as a modification.component of income tax expense in the period in which the law was enacted. When deferred tax balances related to items originally recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income are adjusted, certain tax effects become stranded in accumulated other comprehensive income. The newamendments in ASU 2018-02 allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded income tax effects resulting from the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the "Tax Act"). The amendments in this ASU also require certain disclosures about stranded income tax effects. The guidance requires modification accounting ifis effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption in any period is permitted. The Company’s provisional adjustments recorded during the fair value, vesting condition oryear ended December 31, 2017 to account for the classificationimpact of the award isTax Act did not result in stranded tax effects. The Company does not anticipate the same immediately before and afteradoption of this standard will have a change to the terms and conditions of the award.material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, “Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework - Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement” ("ASU 2018-13"). ASU 2018-13 eliminates, adds and modifies certain disclosure requirements for fair value measurements as part of its disclosure framework project. The new guidancestandard is effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. This new guidance is not expected to have an impact on the Company's consolidatedall entities for financial statements.
In August 2017, FASBstatements issued ASU No. 2017-12, "Derivatives and Hedging - Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities" ("ASU 2017-12"). ASU 2017-12 modifies the presentation and disclosure of hedging results. Further, it provides partial relief on the timing of certain aspects of hedge documentation and eliminates the requirement to recognize hedge ineffectiveness separately in income. The amendments in ASU 2017-12 are effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 20182019, and for interim periods therein.within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. The Company is currently in the process of evaluating the impact of adoption of ASU 2017-122018-13 on its consolidated financial statements.
The Company does not expect that any other recently issued accounting pronouncements will have a material effect on its Consolidated Financial Statements.consolidated financial statements.
2. Finance Receivables, net:
Changes in finance receivables, net, for the years ended December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, were as follows (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Balance at beginning of year$2,307,969
 $2,202,113
$2,776,199
 $2,309,513
Acquisitions of finance receivables (1)
1,084,418
 938,273
1,105,423
 1,084,418
Cash collections applied to principal and net allowance charges(731,802) (746,867)
Addition relating to consolidation of Polish investment fund (See Note 3)
34,871
 
Foreign currency translation adjustment111,336
 (85,550)(64,985) 111,336
Cash collections(1,625,205) (1,512,605)
Income recognized on finance receivables891,899
 795,435
Net allowance charges(33,425) (11,898)
Balance at end of year$2,771,921
 $2,307,969
$3,084,777
 $2,776,199
(1) Acquisitions of finance receivables are portfolio purchases that are net of buybacks and include certain capitalized acquisition related costs. They also includeThe buybacks and capitalized acquisition costs are netted against the acquisition dateof finance receivables when paid and may relate to portfolios purchased in prior periods.
During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company purchased finance receivable portfolios that are acquired in connection with certain business acquisitions.
a face value of $9.2 billion for $1.1 billion. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company purchased finance receivable portfolios with a face value of $7.5 billion for $1.1 billion. During the year ended December 31, 2016, the Company purchased finance receivable portfolios with a face value of $10.5 billion for $0.9 billion. At December 31, 2017,2018, the estimated remaining collections ("ERC") on the receivables purchased during the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017 and 2016 were $1.6$1.9 billion and $1.2 billion, respectively. At December 31, 20172018 and 2016, the total2017, ERC was $5.70$6.1 billion and $5.05$5.7 billion, respectively.
At the time of acquisition and each quarter thereafter, the life of each pool is estimated based on projected amounts and timing of future cash collections using the proprietary models of the Company. Based upon current projections, estimated cash collections expected to be applied to principal are estimated to be as follows for the yearstwelve-month periods ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2018$809,115
2019623,030
$816,918
2020491,880
717,243
2021388,344
566,986
2022223,179
404,114
2023114,431
228,229
202454,703
136,441
202531,287
70,304
202620,814
49,797
202711,799
38,124
202827,767
Thereafter3,339
28,854
Total ERC expected to be applied to principal$2,771,921
$3,084,777
At December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, the Company had aggregate net finance receivables balances in pools accounted for under the cost recovery method of $48.0 million and $166.6 million, and $105.5 million, respectively.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Accretable yield represents the amount of income on finance receivables the Company can expect to recognize over the remaining life of its existing portfolios based on estimated future cash flows as of the balance sheet date. Additions represent the original expected accretable yield, on portfolios purchased during the period, to be earned by the Company based on its proprietary analytical models. Net reclassifications from nonaccretable difference to accretable yield primarily result from the increase in the
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Company's estimate of future cash flows. When applicable, net reclassifications to nonaccretable difference from accretable yield result from the decrease in the Company's estimates of future cash flows and allowance charges that together exceed the increase in the Company's estimate of future cash flows.
Changes in accretable yield for the years ended December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2018 2017
Balance at beginning of year$2,927,866
 $2,738,462
Income recognized on finance receivables(891,899) (795,435)
Net allowance charges33,425
 11,898
Additions from portfolio purchases (1)
876,112
 702,914
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference194,992
 149,512
Foreign currency translation adjustment(82,051) 120,515
Balance at end of year$3,058,445
 $2,927,866
 2017 2016
Balance at beginning of year$2,740,006
 $2,727,204
Income recognized on finance receivables, net(780,803) (745,119)
Additions from portfolio purchases702,914
 720,638
Reclassifications from nonaccretable difference149,512
 41,056
Foreign currency translation adjustment120,515
 (3,773)
Balance at end of year$2,932,144
 $2,740,006
(1) Also includes accretable yield additions resulting from the consolidation of a Polish investment fund.
The following is a summary of activity within the Company's valuation allowance account, all of which relates to loans acquired with deteriorated credit quality, for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 (amounts in thousands):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Beginning balance$211,465
 $114,861
 $86,166
$225,555
 $211,465
 $114,861
Allowance charges13,826
 100,202
 31,974
48,856
 13,826
 100,202
Reversal of previous recorded allowance charges(1,928) (1,723) (2,605)(15,431) (1,928) (1,723)
Net allowance charges11,898
 98,479
 29,369
33,425
 11,898
 98,479
Foreign currency translation adjustment2,192
 (1,875) (674)(1,832) 2,192
 (1,875)
Ending balance$225,555
 $211,465
 $114,861
$257,148
 $225,555
 $211,465
3. Investments:
Investments consisted of the following at December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Debt securities   
Available-for-sale   $5,077
 $5,429
Government bonds and mutual funds$6,838
 $2,138
Held-to-maturity   
 57,204
Securitized assets57,204
 51,407
Other investments   
Equity securities   
Private equity funds14,248
 14,998
7,973
 14,248
Mutual funds21,753
 1,409
Equity method investments10,370
 
Total investments$78,290
 $68,543
$45,173
 $78,290
Debt Securities
Available-for-Sale
Government bonds and mutual funds: :The Company's investments in government bonds and mutual funds are classified as available-for-sale and are stated at fair value. Fair value is determined using quoted market prices. Unrealized gains and losses are included in comprehensive income and reported in equity.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Held-to-Maturity
InvestmentsInvestment in securitized assets: The Company holds a majority interest in a closed-end Polish investment fund. The investment which provides a non-guaranteed preferred return based on the expected net income of the portfolios, isportfolios. Effective July 1, 2018, the Company became a servicer of the fund. In accordance with FASB ASC Topic 810, “Consolidation”, the Company determined that it had effective control of the fund. Accordingly, beginning July 1, 2018 the Company consolidated the fund at the carrying value of the investment, $50.6 million, of which $34.9 million was recorded as finance receivables, net, $17.5 million was recorded as cash and cash equivalents and $1.8 million was recorded as other liabilities on its consolidated balance sheets. No gain or loss was recognized upon consolidation.
Prior to July 2018, the investment was accounted for as a beneficial interest in securitized financial assets and stated at amortized cost. The Company has determined it has the ability and intent to hold these certificates until maturity, which occurs when the fund terminates or liquidates its assets. The preferred return is not a guaranteed return. Income iswas recognized under FASB ASC Topic 325-40, "Beneficial Interest in Securitized Financial Assets" ("ASC 325-40"). Revenues recognized on this investment were recorded in the Other Revenue line item in the Company's consolidated income statements.
Prior to April 1, 2017, income was recognized using the effective yield method. The underlying securities had both known principal repayment terms as well as unknown principal repayments due to potential borrower pre-payments. Accordingly, it was difficult to accurately predict the final maturity date of this investment. Effective April 1, 2017, the Company determined that it could notno longer reasonably forecast the timing of future cash flows and accordingly began using the cost recovery method to recognize income. No investment revenues were recognized on these investments during 2018. Effective with the July 1, 2018 consolidation, the finance receivables are subject to the Company's finance receivables revenue recognition policy and income is recognized accordingly. During 2017, revenues recognized on these investments were $1.3 million. The unrealized loss on this investmentthese investments in securitized assets2017 was caused by a change in
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

the timing of the estimated cash flows. TotalAs total expected cash flows expected on this investmentthese investments exceeded the carrying amount, the Company did not change. Therefore, the Company does not consider this investmentthese investments to be other-than-temporarily impaired at December 31, 2017.
The underlyingamortized cost and estimated fair value of investments in debt securities have both known principal repayment terms as well as unknown principal repayments due to potential borrower pre-payments. Accordingly, it is difficult to accurately predict the final maturity date of these investments. Revenues recognized on these investments are recorded in the Other Revenue line item in the income statement and was $1.3 million for the year endedat December 31, 2018 and 2017 compared to $6.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Other Investments
 December 31, 2018
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds$5,160
 $
 $83
 $5,077
        
 December 31, 2017
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds$5,452
 $
 $23
 $5,429
Held-to-maturity       
Securitized assets57,204
 
 14,249
 42,955
Equity Securities
Investments in private equity funds: Investments in private equity funds represent limited partnerships in which the Company has less than a 3% interestinterest. In the first quarter of 2018, the Company adopted ASU 2016-01, which requires that investments in equity securities be measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-01, the investments are carried at cost. Income isthe fair value reported by the Fund manager. The Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $3.9 million, net of tax, to beginning retained earnings for the unrealized loss on the investment. Prior to 2018, the investments were carried at cost with income recognized in Other Revenue in the consolidated income statements when distributions, up to reported income, arewere received from the partnerships. During the year ended December 31, 2017, one of the investments experienced an other-than-temporary impairment which resulted in an impairment charge of $1.7 million. TheThe aggregate carrying amount of cost-method investments for which cost exceeded fair value but for which an impairment loss was not recognized was $14.2 million and $15.0 million at December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, respectively. The Company evaluates the investments based its our estimated allocable share of the expected remaining cash flows of the funds as reported by the investment manager. Distributions received from these investments were $5.2 million and $2.7 million for 2017 and 2016, respectively.
The amortized cost and estimated fair value of available-for sale and held-to-maturity investments at December 31, 20172017.
Mutual funds: The Company invests certain excess funds held in Brazil in a Brazilian real denominated mutual fund that invests principally in Brazilian fixed income securities that hedge their currency exposure back into the U.S. dollar. The investments are carried at fair value based on quoted market prices.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Unrealized gains and 2016losses: Unrealized gains on equity securities were as follows (amounts$3.5 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018.
Equity Method Investments
Effective December 20, 2018, the Company has a 11.7% interest in thousands):
 December 31, 2017
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds and mutual funds$6,758
 $102
 $22
 $6,838
Held-to-maturity       
Securitized assets57,204
 
 14,249
 42,955
        
 December 31, 2016
 Amortized Cost Gross Unrealized Gains Gross Unrealized Losses Aggregate Fair Value
Available-for-sale       
Government bonds and mutual funds2,161
 
 23
 2,138
Held-to-maturity       
Securitized assets51,407
 4,147
 
 55,554
RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"), a servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil, which is accounted for on the equity method because the Company exercises significant influence over RCB’s operating and financial activities. Therefore, the Company’s investment in RCB is adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of RCB’s earnings or losses. Refer to Note 16 for additional information.
4. Operating Leases:
The Company leases office space and equipment under operating leases. Rental expense was $13.6 million, $11.8 million $12.3 million and $11.3$12.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016and 2015,2016, respectively.
Future minimum lease payments for operating leases at December 31, 2017,2018, are as follows for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2018$11,837
20199,556
$11,470
20208,316
11,451
20216,734
10,809
20225,418
7,287
20236,189
Thereafter9,580
7,866
Total future minimum lease payments$51,441
$55,072
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

5. Goodwill and Intangible Assets, net:
In connection with the Company's previous business acquisitions, the Company acquired certain tangible and intangible assets. Intangible assets resulting from these acquisitions include client and customer relationships, non-compete agreements, trademarks and technology. The Company performs an annual review of goodwill as of October 1 or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed an annual review of goodwill as of October 1, 2017,2018 and concluded that no goodwill impairment was necessary.
The following table represents the changes in goodwill for the years ended December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Balance at beginning of period:      
Goodwill$506,308
 $501,553
$526,513
 $506,308
Accumulated impairment loss(6,397) (6,397)
 (6,397)
499,911
 495,156
526,513
 499,911
Changes:      
Acquisitions
 28,792
Sale of subsidiary(36,053) 
Foreign currency translation adjustment26,602
 5,646
(26,344) 26,602
Reclassifications to assets held for sale
 (29,683)
Net change in goodwill26,602
 4,755
(62,397) 26,602
      
Balance at end of period:   
Goodwill526,513
 506,308
464,116
 526,513
Accumulated impairment loss
 (6,397)
 

$526,513
 $499,911
Balance at end of period:$464,116
 $526,513
The $36.1 million decrease in goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2018, is a result of the sale of a portion of RCB's servicing platform in December of 2018. For additional information, see Note 16. The change in accumulated impairment loss during the year ended December 31, 2017 was related to the June 2017 sale of PRA Location Services, LLC ("PLS"), the goodwill of which was fully impaired during 2013.
The $28.8 million addition
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to goodwill during the year ended December 31, 2016, was mainly attributable to the acquisition of DTP S.A. ("DTP") and the acquisition of Recovery Management Systems Corporation ("RMSC"). The goodwill recognized from the DTP acquisition is not expected to be deductible for tax purposes, while the goodwill recognized from the RMSC acquisition is expected to be deductible for tax purposes.Consolidated Financial Statements

Intangible assets, excluding goodwill, consisted of the following at December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
 Gross
Amount
 Accumulated
Amortization
Client and customer relationships$30,397
 $10,752
 $35,936
 $13,455
$11,806
 $6,993
 $30,397
 $10,752
Non-compete agreements1,388
 1,118
 1,412
 667

 
 1,388
 1,118
Trademarks3,285
 1,479
 3,315
 988
400
 345
 3,285
 1,479
Technology3,240
 1,389
 3,102
 720
1,548
 894
 3,240
 1,389
Total$38,310
 $14,738
 $43,765
 $15,830
$13,754
 $8,232
 $38,310
 $14,738
The Company amortizes the intangible assets over the estimated useful lives. Total amortization expense for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 was $4.3 million, $6.2$4.3 million and $3.7$6.2 million, respectively. The Company reviews intangible assets for possible impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable and the carrying amount exceeds its fair value.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The future amortization of intangible assets is estimated to be as follows as of December 31, 2017 for the following years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2018$4,599
20194,330
$1,371
20203,661
1,150
20212,672
828
20222,075
739
2023697
Thereafter6,235
737
Total$23,572
$5,522
6. Borrowings:
The Company's borrowings consisted of the following as of the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
December 31,
2017
 December 31,
2016
December 31,
2018
 December 31,
2017
North American revolving credit$373,206
 $695,088
Revolving credit facilities$1,160,161
 $849,815
Term loans764,830
 430,764
740,551
 764,830
European revolving credit476,609
 401,780
Convertible senior notes632,500
 287,500
632,500
 632,500
2,247,145
 1,815,132
2,533,212
 2,247,145
Less: Debt discount and issuance costs(76,963) (31,031)(59,556) (76,963)
Total$2,170,182
 $1,784,101
$2,473,656
 $2,170,182
The following principal payments are due on the Company's borrowings at December 31, 20172018 for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
2018$10,000
201910,000
$10,000
2020297,500
297,500
2021806,439
877,433
2022778,206
1,003,279
2023345,000
Thereafter345,000

Total$2,247,145
$2,533,212
Following the receipt of the covenant waiver during the fourth quarter of 2017 as discussed in the European Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan section below, theThe Company believes it was in compliance with the covenants of its financing arrangements as of December 31, 2017 and 2016.2018.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

North American Revolving Credit and Term Loan
On May 5, 2017, the Company amended and restated its existing credit agreement (as amended, and modified from time to time, the “North American Credit Agreement”) with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent, Bank of America, National Association, acting through its Canada branch, as the Canadian administrative agent, and a syndicate of lenders named therein. In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company entered into a First Amendment (the "First Amendment") to the North American Credit Agreement which, among other things, increased the domestic revolving credit facility by $363.0 million and expanded the accordion feature to allow the Company to increase the original principal amount of the commitments under the North American Credit Agreement by an additional $500.0 million, subject to certain terms and conditions. The total credit facility under the North American Credit Agreement includes an aggregate principal amount of $1.2$1.6 billion (subject to compliance with a borrowing base and applicable debt covenants), which consists of (i) a fully-funded $445.0$435.0 million term loan, (ii) a $705.0$1,068.0 million domestic revolving credit facility and (iii) a $50.0 million Canadian revolving credit facility. The facility includes an accordion feature for up to $45.0$500.0 million in additional commitments (at the option of the lender) and also provides for up to $25.0 million of letters of credit and a $25.0 million swingline loan sublimit that would reduce amounts available for borrowing. The term and revolving loans accrue interest, at the option of the Company, at either the base rate or the Eurodollar rate (as defined in the North American Credit Agreement) for the applicable term plus 2.50% per annum in the case of the Eurodollar rate loans and 1.50% in the case of the base rate loans. The base rate is the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate (as defined in the North American Credit Agreement) plus 0.50%, (b) Bank of America's prime rate or (c) the one monthone-month Eurodollar rate plus 1.00%. Canadian Prime Rate Loans bear interest at a rate per annum equal to the Canadian Prime Rate plus 1.50%. The revolving credit facilities also bear an unused line fee of 0.375% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. The loans under the
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

North American Credit Agreement mature as of May 5, 2022. As of December 31, 2017,2018, the unused portion of the North American Credit Agreement was $381.8$519.7 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions as of December 31, 2017,2018, the amount available to be drawn was $353.1$290.3 million.
The North American Credit Agreement is secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the Company's North American assets. The North American Credit Agreement contains restrictive covenants and events of default which are defined in the agreement, including the following:
borrowings under each of the domestic revolving loan facility and the Canadian revolving loan facility are subject to separate borrowing base calculations and may not exceed 35% of the ERC of all domestic or Canadian, as applicable, core eligible asset pools, plus 55% of the ERC of domestic or Canadian, as applicable, insolvency eligible asset pools, plus 75% of domestic or Canadian, as applicable, eligible accounts receivable;
the consolidated total leverage ratio cannot exceed 2.75 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio cannot exceed 2.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
subject to no default or event of default, cash dividends and distributions during any fiscal year cannot exceed $20.0 million;
subject to no default or event of default, stock repurchases during any fiscal year cannot exceed $100.0 million plus 50% of the prior year's consolidated net income;
permitted acquisitions during any fiscal year cannot exceed $250.0 million (with a $50.0 million per year sublimit for permitted acquisitions by non-loan parties);
indebtedness in the form of senior, unsecured convertible notes or other unsecured financings cannot exceed $750.0 million in the aggregate (without respect to the 2020 Notes);
the Company must maintain positive consolidated income from operations during any fiscal quarter; and
restrictions on changes in control.
The revolving credit facility also bears an unused line fee of 0.375% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears.
Information on the outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the credit facility as of the dates indicated are as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest RateAmount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$445,000
 4.07% $150,000
 3.27%$435,000
 5.02% $445,000
 4.07%
Revolving facility373,206
 4.05
 695,088
 3.28
Revolving credit facility598,279
 4.97
 373,206
 4.05
European Revolving Credit Facility and Term Loan
On October 23, 2014, European subsidiaries of the Company ("PRA Europe") entered into a credit agreement with DNB Bank ASA for a Multicurrency Revolving Credit Facility (such agreement as later amended or modified, the "European Credit Agreement"). Under the terms of the European Credit Agreement, the credit facility includes an aggregate amount of approximately $1.2 billion (subject to the borrowing base), of which 267.0 million EURO (approximately $319.8 million) is a term loan, accrues interest at the Interbank Offered Rate ("IBOR") plus 2.80%-3.90% under the revolving facility and 4.25%-4.50% under the term loan facility (as determined by the loan-to-value ratio ("LTV Ratio") as defined in the European Credit Agreement), bears an unused line fee, currently 1.26% per annum, of 35% of the margin, is payable monthly in arrears, and matures on February 19, 2021. The European Credit Agreement includes an overdraft facility in the aggregate amount of $40.0 million (subject to the borrowing base), which accrues interest (per currency) at the daily rates as published by the facility agent, bears a facility line fee of 0.125% per quarter, payable quarterly in arrears, and also matures February 19, 2021. As of December 31, 2017, the unused portion of the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $463.4 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions and other covenants, as of December 31, 2017, the amount available to be drawn under the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $157.0 million.
The European Credit Agreement is secured by the shares of most of the Company's European subsidiaries and all intercompany loan receivables in Europe. The European Credit Agreement also contains restrictive covenants and events of default, which are defined in the European Credit Agreement, including the following:
the LTV Ratio cannot exceed 75%;
the GIBD Ratio in Europe cannot exceed 3.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
interest bearing deposits in AK Nordic AB cannot exceed SEK 1,500,000,000; and
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

PRA Europe's cash collections must exceed 95% of Europe's ERC for the same set of portfolios, measured on a quarterly basis.
During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company was in a position to purchase a portfolio that would have violated the Approved Loan Portfolio covenant in its European Credit Agreement. Accordingly, the Company requested and was granted a waiver by the lenders prior to purchasing the portfolio. Subsequently, inIn the first quarter of 2018, the Company entered into the Fourth Amendment and Restatement Agreement (the "Fourth Amendment") to its European Credit Agreement which, among other things, expanded the scope of loan portfolios that constitute Approved Loan Portfolios (as defined in the Fourth Amendment). Additionally, otherAdditional changes to the European Credit Agreement
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

resulting from the Fourth Amendment include: reducedincluded: the reduction of all applicable margins for the interest payable under the multicurrency revolving credit facility by 15 basis points; reducedthe reduction of all applicable margins for the interest payable under the term loan facility by 50 basis points, subject to the lenders’ right to increase the applicable margin by up to 50 basis points if one or more of the lenders elects to syndicate and/or transfer its commitment under the term loan in accordance with the terms of the Fourth Amendment; reducedthe reduction of the maximum permitted amount of interest bearing deposits in AK Nordic AB from SEK 1,500,000,0001.5 billion to SEK 1,200,000,000;1.2 billion (approximately $134.3 million at December, 31, 2018); and revisedrevisions to the definitions of ERC and loan-to-value ratio ("LTV Ratio.Ratio"). In the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company reduced the amount of its revolving credit facility by $100.0 million to $800.0 million as allowed under the European Credit Agreement.
InformationUnder the terms of the European Credit Agreement, the credit facility includes an aggregate amount of approximately $1.1 billion (subject to the borrowing base), of which 267.0 million EUR (approximately $305.6 million at December 31, 2018) is a term loan, accrues interest at the Interbank Offered Rate ("IBOR") plus 2.65% - 3.75% under the revolving facility and 3.75% or 4.00% under the term loan facility (as determined by the LTV Ratio) as defined in the European Credit Agreement), bears an unused line fee, currently 1.21% per annum, of 35% of the margin, is payable monthly in arrears, and matures February 19, 2021. The European Credit Agreement also includes an overdraft facility in the aggregate amount of $40.0 million (subject to the borrowing base), which accrues interest (per currency) at the daily rates as published by the facility agent, bears a facility line fee of 0.125% per quarter, payable quarterly in arrears, and matures February 19, 2021. As of December 31, 2018, the unused portion of the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $278.1 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions and other covenants as of December 31, 2018, the amount available to be drawn under the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $166.0 million.
The European Credit Agreement is secured by the shares of most of the Company's European subsidiaries and all intercompany loans receivable in Europe. The European Credit Agreement contains restrictive covenants and events of default including the following:
the LTV Ratio cannot exceed 75%;
the gross interest-bearing debt ratio in Europe cannot exceed 3.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
interest bearing deposits in AK Nordic AB cannot exceed SEK 1.2 billion; and
PRA Europe's cash collections must meet certain thresholds, measured on thea quarterly basis.
The outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the European Credit Agreement as the dates indicated are as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest RateAmount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
Term loan$319,830
 4.25% $280,764
 4.25%$305,551
 3.75% $319,830
 4.25%
Revolving facility476,609
 5.01
 401,780
 5.34
Revolving credit facility561,882
 4.10
 476,609
 5.01
Convertible Senior Notes due 2020
On August 13, 2013, the Company completed the private offering of $287.5 million in aggregate principal amount of its 3.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2020 Notes.(the "2020 Notes"). The 2020 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated August 13, 2013 (the "2013 Indenture"), between the Company and Regions Bank, as successor trustee. The 2013 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2020 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2020 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest on the 2020 Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on February 1 and August 1 of each year, beginning on February 1, 2014. Prior to February 1, 2020, the 2020 Notes will be convertible only upon the occurrence of specified events. On or after February 1, 2020, the 2020 Notes will be convertible at any time. The Company does not have the right to redeem the 2020 Notes prior to maturity. As of December 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016, none2018, the Company does not believe that any of the conditions allowing holders of the 2020 Notes to convert their notes had occurred.
The conversion rate for the 2020 Notes is initially 15.2172 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 2020 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $65.72 per share of the Company's common stock and is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances pursuant to the 2013 Indenture. Upon conversion, holders of the 2020 Notes will receive cash, shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election. The Company's current intent is to settle conversions through combination settlement (i.e., the 2020 Notes would be converted into cash up to the aggregate principal amount and shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election, for the remainder). As a result, and in accordance with authoritative
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

guidance related to derivatives and hedging and earnings per share, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72.
The Company determined that the fair value of the 2020 Notes at the date of issuance was approximately $255.3 million and designated the residual value of approximately $32.2 million as the equity component. Additionally, the Company allocated approximately $7.3 million of the $8.2 million 2020 Notes issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $0.9 million as equity issuance cost.
Convertible Senior Notes due 2023
On May 26, 2017, the Company completed the private offering of $345.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 3.50% Convertible Senior Notes due 2023 Notes.(the "2023 Notes" and, together with the 2020 Notes, the "Notes"). The 2023 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture, dated May 26, 2017 (the "2017 Indenture"), between the Company and Regions Bank, as trustee. The 2017 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2023 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2023 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company. Interest on the 2023 Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on June 1 and December 1 of each year, beginning on December 1,
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

2017. Prior to March 1, 2023, the 2023 Notes will be convertible only upon the occurrence of specified events. On or after March 1, 2023, the 2023 Notes will be convertible at any time. The Company has the right, at its election, to redeem all or any part of the outstanding notes2023 Notes at any time on or after June 1, 2021 for cash, but only if the last reported sale price (as defined in the 2017 Indenture) exceeds 130% of the conversion price on each of at least 20 trading days during the 30 consecutive trading days ending on and including the trading day immediately before the date the Company sends the related redemption notice. As of December 31, 2017, none2018, the Company does not believe that any of the conditions allowing holders of the 2023 Notes to convert their notes had occurred.
The conversion rate for the 2023 Notes is initially 21.6275 shares per $1,000 principal amount of 2023 Notes, which is equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $46.24 per share of the Company's common stock and is subject to adjustment in certain circumstances pursuant to the 2017 Indenture. Upon conversion, holders of the 2023 Notes will receive cash, shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election. The Company's current intent is to settle conversions through combination settlement (i.e., the 2023 Notes would be converted into cash up to the aggregate principal amount and shares of the Company's common stock or a combination of cash and shares of the Company's common stock, at the Company's election, for the remainder). As a result, and in accordance with authoritative guidance related to derivatives and hedging and earnings per share, only the conversion spread is included in the diluted earnings per share calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $46.24.
The Company determined that the fair value of the 2023 Notes at the date of issuance was approximately $298.8 million and designated the residual value of approximately $46.2 million as the equity component. Additionally, the Company allocated approximately $8.3 million of the $9.6 million 2023 Notes issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $1.3 million as equity issuance cost.
The balances of the liability and equity components of the Notes outstanding were as follows as of the dates indicated (amounts in thousands):
December 31,
2017
 December 31,
2016
December 31,
2018
 December 31,
2017
Liability component - principal amount$632,500
 $287,500
$632,500
 $632,500
Unamortized debt discount(55,537) (17,930)(43,812) (55,537)
Liability component - net carrying amount$576,963
 $269,570
$588,688
 $576,963
Equity component$76,216
 $31,306
$76,216
 $76,216
The debt discount is being amortized into interest expense over the remaining life of the 2020 Notes and the 2023 Notes using the effective interest rate, which is 4.92% and 6.20%, respectively.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Interest expense related to the Notes was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 ,and 2016 and 2015 (amounts in thousands):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Interest expense - stated coupon rate$15,870
 $8,625
 $8,625
$20,700
 $15,870
 $8,625
Interest expense - amortization of debt discount8,583
 4,472
 4,260
11,725
 8,583
 4,472
Total interest expense - convertible senior notes$24,453
 $13,097
 $12,885
$32,425
 $24,453
 $13,097
Interest Expense, Net
The Company incurs interest expense on its borrowings, interest-bearing deposits, and interest rate swapderivative agreements. The Company earns interest income on certain of its cash and cash equivalents and its interest rate swapderivative agreements. Interest expense, net, was as follows for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016, and 20152016 (amounts in thousands):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Interest expense$103,653
 $85,911
 $62,411
$124,208
 $103,653
 $85,911
Interest (income)(5,612) (5,047) (2,075)(3,130) (5,612) (5,047)
Interest expense, net$98,041
 $80,864
 $60,336
$121,078
 $98,041
 $80,864
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

7. Property and Equipment, net:
Property and equipment, at cost, consisted of the following as of December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Software$51,065
 $53,793
$64,670
 $51,065
Computer equipment19,260
 19,594
22,153
 19,260
Furniture and fixtures15,560
 13,607
16,061
 15,560
Equipment9,643
 12,065
12,390
 9,643
Leasehold improvements14,778
 13,644
16,556
 14,778
Building and improvements7,409
 7,323
7,431
 7,409
Land1,296
 1,296
1,296
 1,296
Accumulated depreciation and amortization(80,967) (82,578)(92,877) (80,967)
Assets in process11,267
 
6,456
 11,267
Property and equipment, net$49,311
 $38,744
$54,136
 $49,311
Depreciation and amortization expense relating to property and equipment for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016 and 2015 was $15.1 million, $15.4 million $18.2 million and $16.2$18.2 million, respectively.
8. Fair Value:
As defined by ASC 820, fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 also requires the consideration of differing levels of inputs in the determination of fair values.
Those levels of input are summarized as follows:
Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.
Level 2: Observable inputs other than Level 1 quoted prices, such as quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets that are not active, and model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market.
Level 3: Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The level in the fair value hierarchy within which a fair value measurement in its entirety falls is based on the lowest level input that is significant to the fair value measurement in its entirety.
Financial Instruments Not Required To Be Carried at Fair Value
In accordance with the disclosure requirements of ASC Topic 825, "Financial Instruments" ("ASC 825"), the table below summarizes fair value estimates for the Company's financial instruments that are not required to be carried at fair value. The total of the fair value calculations presented does not represent, and should not be construed to represent, the underlying value of the Company.
The carrying amounts in the table are recorded in the consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 20172018 and December 31, 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

December 31, 2017 December 31, 2016December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
 Carrying
Amount
 Estimated
Fair Value
Financial assets:              
Cash and cash equivalents$120,516
 $120,516
 $94,287
 $94,287
$98,695
 $98,695
 $120,516
 $120,516
Held-to-maturity investments57,204
 42,955
 51,407
 55,554

 
 57,204
 42,955
Other investments14,248
 8,820
 14,998
 12,573
Finance receivables, net2,771,921
 3,060,907
 2,307,969
 2,708,582
3,084,777
 3,410,475
 2,776,199
 3,060,907
Financial liabilities:              
Interest-bearing deposits98,580
 98,580
 76,113
 76,113
82,666
 82,666
 98,580
 98,580
Revolving lines of credit849,815
 849,815
 1,096,868
 1,096,868
1,160,161
 1,160,161
 849,815
 849,815
Term loans764,830
 764,830
 430,764
 430,764
740,551
 740,551
 764,830
 764,830
Convertible senior notes576,963
 620,079
 269,570
 270,825
588,688
 557,122
 576,963
 620,079
Disclosure of the estimated fair values of financial instruments often requires the use of estimates. The carrying amount and estimates of the fair value of the Company's debt obligations outlined above do not include any related debt issuance costs associated with the debt obligations. The Company uses the following methods and assumptions to estimate the fair value of financial instruments:
Cash and cash equivalents: The carrying amount approximates fair value and quoted prices for identical assets can be found in active markets. Accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of cash and cash equivalents using Level 1 inputs.
Held-to-maturity investments: Fair value of the Company's investment in the certificates of a closed-end Polish investment fund is estimated using proprietary pricing models that the Company utilizes to make portfolio purchase decisions. Accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of its held-to-maturity investments using Level 3 inputs as there is little observable market data available and management is required to use significant judgment in its estimates.
Other investments: This class of investments consists of private equity funds that invest primarily in loans and securities including single-family residential debt; corporate debt products; and financially-oriented, real-estate-rich and other operating companies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Japan. These investments are subject to certain restrictions regarding transfers and withdrawals. The investments cannot be redeemed with the funds. Instead, the nature of the investments in this class is that distributions are received through the liquidation of the underlying assets of the fund. The fair value of the Company's interest is valued by the fund managers; accordingly, the Company estimates the fair value of these investments using Level 3 inputs. The investments are expected to be returned through distributions as a result of liquidations of the funds' underlying assets over 1 to 6 years.
Finance receivables, net: The Company computedestimates the estimated fair value of these receivables using proprietary pricing models that the Company utilizes to make portfolio purchase decisions. Accordingly, the Company's fair value estimates use Level 3 inputs as there is little observable market data available and management is required to use significant judgment in its estimates.
Interest-bearing deposits: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the deposits and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Revolving lines of credit: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the interest rate periods and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Term loans: The carrying amount approximates fair value due to the short-term nature of the interest rate periods and the observable quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Convertible senior notes: The Notes are carried at historical cost, adjusted for the debt discount. The fair value estimates for the Notes incorporate quoted market prices which were obtained from secondary market broker quotes which were derived from a variety of inputs including client orders, information from their pricing vendors, modeling software, and actual trading prices when they occur. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

its fair value estimates. Furthermore, in the table above, carrying amount represents the portion of the Notes classified as debt, while estimated fair value pertains to the face amount of the Notes.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Financial Instruments Required To Be Carried At Fair Value
The carrying amounts in the following table are measured at fair value on a recurring basis in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 20172018 and 20162017 (amounts in thousands):
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2017Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2018
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 TotalLevel 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:              
Available-for-sale investments$6,838
 $
 $
 $6,838
       
Liabilities:       
Interest rate swap contracts (recorded in accrued expenses)
 1,108
 
 1,108
Government bonds$5,077
 $
 $
 $5,077
Fair value through net income investments      
Mutual funds21,753
 
 
 21,753
Derivative contracts (recorded in other assets)
 3,334
 
 3,334
              
Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2016Fair Value Measurements as of December 31, 2017
Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 TotalLevel 1 Level 2 Level 3 Total
Assets:              
Available-for-sale investments$2,138
 $
 $
 $2,138
       
Government bonds$5,429
 $
 $
 $5,429
Liabilities:              
Interest rate swap contracts (recorded in accrued expenses)
 2,825
 
 2,825
Derivative contracts (recorded in accrued expenses)
 1,108
 
 1,108
Available-for-sale investments
Available-for-sale investments:Government bonds: Fair value of the Company's investment in government bonds and fixedis estimated using quoted market prices. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 1 inputs.
Fair value through net income investments
Mutual funds: Fair value of the Company's investment in mutual funds is estimated using quoted market prices. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 1 inputs.
Interest rate swapDerivative contracts: The estimated fair value of the interest rate swapderivative contracts is determined by using industry standard valuation models. These models project future cash flows and discount the future amounts to a present value using market-based observable inputs, including interest rate curves and other factors. Accordingly, the Company uses Level 2 inputs for its fair value estimates.
Investments measured using net asset value
Private equity funds: This class of investments consists of private equity funds that invest primarily in loans and securities including single-family residential debt; corporate debt products; and financially-oriented, real-estate-rich and other operating companies in the Americas, Western Europe, and Japan. These investments are subject to certain restrictions regarding transfers and withdrawals. The investments cannot be redeemed with the funds. Instead, distributions are received through the liquidation of the underlying assets of the fund. The investments are expected to be returned through distributions as a result of liquidations of the funds' underlying assets over 1 to 6 years. The fair value of these private equity funds following the application of the NAV practical expedient was $8.0 million and $8.8 million as of December 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

9. Share-Based Compensation:
The Company has an Omnibus Incentive Plan (the "Plan") that is intended to assist the Company in attracting and retaining selected individuals to serve as employees and directors, who are expected to contribute to the Company's success and to achieve long-term objectives that will benefit stockholders of the Company. The Plan enables the Company to award shares of the Company's common stock to select employees and directors, as described in the Plan, not to exceed 5,400,000 shares as authorized by the Plan.
Total share-based compensation expense was $8.5 million, $8.7 million $6.1 million and $16.3$6.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 2015,2016, respectively. With the adoption of ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of 2017, the Company now recognizes all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies in the income statement when the awards vest or are settled. Prior to 2017, tax benefits resulting from tax deductions in excess of share-based compensation expense (windfall tax benefits) recognized under the provisions of ASC 718 were credited to additional paid-in capital. Realized tax shortfalls, if any, were first offset against the cumulative balance of windfall tax benefits, if any, and then charged directly to income tax expense. The total tax benefit realized from share-based compensation was approximately $1.7 million, $3.2 million $2.7 million and $8.9$2.7 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 2015,2016, respectively.
Nonvested Shares
As of December 31, 2017,2018, total future compensation expense related to grants of nonvested share grants to employees and directors (not including nonvested shares granted under the Long-Term Incentive ("LTI") program), is estimated to be $5.4$7.7 million with a weighted average remaining life for all nonvested shares of 1.21.6 years. Grants made to key employees and directors of the Company were assumed to have no forfeiture rates associated with them due to the historically low turnover among this group. With the exception of the grants made pursuant to the LTI program and a few employee and director grants, the nonvested shares vest ratably generally over one to three years and are expensed over their vesting period.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following summarizes all nonvested share transactions,activity, excluding those related to the LTI program, from December 31, 20142015 through December 31, 20172018 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
Nonvested Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
Nonvested Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2014339
 $47.34
Granted100
 53.29
Vested(151) 42.15
Canceled(4) 47.49
December 31, 2015284
 52.20
284
 $52.20
Granted196
 28.43
196
 28.43
Vested(117) 48.78
(117) 48.78
Canceled(60) 51.71
(60) 51.71
December 31, 2016303
 38.19
303
 38.19
Granted195
 33.70
195
 33.70
Vested(173) 37.49
(173) 37.49
Canceled(27) 43.05
(27) 43.05
December 31, 2017298
 $35.25
298
 35.25
Granted254
 36.39
Vested(151) 35.13
Canceled(22) 35.02
December 31, 2018379
 $34.85
The total grant date fair value of shares vested, excluding those granted under the LTI program, during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, and 2015, was $5.3 million, $6.5 million $5.7 million and $6.4$5.7 million, respectively.
Long-Term Incentive Program
Pursuant to the Plan, the Compensation Committee may grant time-vested and performance-based nonvested shares. All shares granted under the LTI program were granted to key employees of the Company.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The following table summarizes all LTI share transactionsactivity from December 31, 20142015 through December 31, 20172018 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
Nonvested LTI Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
Nonvested LTI Shares
Outstanding
 Weighted-Average
Price at Grant Date
December 31, 2014488
 $30.52
Granted at target level132
 52.47
Adjustments for actual performance122
 34.59
Vested(252) 20.21
Canceled(7) 40.05
December 31, 2015483
 42.80
483
 $42.80
Granted at target level240
 28.98
240
 28.98
Adjustments for actual performance(67) 34.59
(67) 34.59
Vested(176) 34.59
(176) 34.59
Canceled(55) 43.68
(55) 43.68
December 31, 2016425
 39.57
425
 39.57
Granted at target level192
 33.50
192
 33.50
Adjustments for actual performance5
 60.00
5
 60.00
Vested(51) 40.80
(51) 40.80
Canceled(99) 20.91
(99) 20.91
December 31, 2017472
 $41.06
472
 41.06
Granted at target level121
 39.40
Adjustments for actual performance(74) 52.47
Vested(19) 52.47
Canceled(46) 32.31
December 31, 2018454
 $33.27
The total grant date fair value of LTI shares vested during the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, and 2015, was $1.0 million, $2.1 million and $6.1 million, and $5.1 million, respectively.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

At December 31, 2017,2018, total future compensation expense, assuming the current estimated performance levels are achieved, related to nonvested shares granted under the LTI program is estimated to be approximately $2.9$2.8 million. The Company assumed a 15.0% forfeiture rate for these grants and the remaining shares have a weighted average remaining life of 1.4 years1.0 year at December 31, 2017.2018.
10. Earnings per Share:
Basic earnings per share ("EPS") are computed by dividing net income available to common stockholders of PRA Group, Inc. by weighted average common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS are computed using the same components as basic EPS with the denominator adjusted for the dilutive effect of the conversion spread of the Notes and nonvested share awards, if dilutive. ForThere has been no dilutive effect of the Notes only the conversion spread is included in the diluted EPS calculation, if dilutive. Under such method, the settlement of the conversion spread has a dilutive effect when the average share price of the Company's common stock during any quarter exceeds $65.72 for the 2020 Notes or $46.24 for the 2023 Notes, neither of which occurred during the respective periods from which the Notes were issuedsince issuance through December 31, 2017.2018. Share-based awards that are contingent upon the attainment of performance goals are included in the computation of diluted EPS if the effect is dilutive. The dilutive effect of nonvested shares is computed using the treasury stock method, which assumes any proceeds that could be obtained upon the vesting of nonvested shares would be used to purchase common shares at the average market price for the period.
The following table provides a reconciliation between the computation of basic EPS and diluted EPS for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts):
2017 2016 20152018 2017 2016
Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPSNet Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS Net Income Attributable to PRA Group, Inc. Weighted Average Common Shares EPS
Basic EPS$162,265
 45,671
 $3.55
 $85,097
 46,316
 $1.84
 $167,926
 48,128
 $3.49
$65,563
 45,280
 $1.45
 $164,315
 45,671
 $3.60
 $86,255
 46,316
 $1.86
Dilutive effect of nonvested share awards  152
 (0.01)   72
 (0.01)   277
 (0.02)  133
 (0.01)   152
 (0.01)   72
 
Diluted EPS$162,265
 45,823
 $3.54
 $85,097
 46,388
 $1.83
 $167,926
 48,405
 $3.47
$65,563
 45,413
 $1.44
 $164,315
 45,823
 $3.59
 $86,255
 46,388
 $1.86
There were no antidilutive options outstanding as of December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015.
11. Derivatives:
Based on the guidance of ASC Topic 815 "Derivatives and Hedging" ("ASC 815"), the Company records derivative financial instruments at fair value on its consolidated balance sheets.
The Company's derivative instruments are not designated as hedging instruments under ASC 815. Therefore, both the realized gain or loss and the change in fair value of the instrument are recorded as interest expense in the Company's consolidated financial statements. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded $0.5 million, $2.8 million and $4.9 million respectively, in interest expense related to its interest rate swaps in its consolidated income statements.
The financing of portfolio investments is generally drawn in the same currencies as the underlying expected future cash flow from the portfolios. The interest rate risk related to the loans is reduced through the use of a combination of interest rate swaps in the European Union euro, Great British pound, Norwegian kroner, Swedish kroner, and Polish zloty. At December 31,2018, 2017 and 2016, approximately 48% and 57%, respectively, of the net borrowings of PRA Europe was hedged, reducing the related interest rate risk.
The following table sets forth the fair value amounts of the derivative instruments not designated as hedging instruments as of December 31, 2017 and 2016 (amounts in thousands):
 2017 2016
 
Asset
Derivatives
 Liability Derivatives 
Asset
Derivatives
 Liability Derivatives
Interest rate swap contracts$
 $1,108
 $
 $2,825
2016.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

12. Stockholders' Equity:11. Derivatives:
On October 22, 2015,The following table summarizes the fair value of derivative instruments as recorded in the Company’s consolidated statements of financial condition (in thousands):
  December 31, 2018 December 31, 2017
  Balance Sheet Location Fair Value Balance Sheet Location Fair Value
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:        
Interest rate swaps Other assets $19
   $
Interest rate cap contracts Other assets 25
   
Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:        
Foreign currency exchange contracts Other assets 2,555
   
Interest rate swaps Other assets 735
 Accrued expenses 1,108
As of December 31, 2018, the total notional amount of the interest rate derivative contracts that are designated as cash flow hedging instruments was $260.8 million. As of December 31, 2018, the total notional amount of the interest rate derivative contracts that are not designated as cash flow hedging instruments was $169.7 million. During the fourth quarter of 2018, the Company entered into foreign currency forward agreements with aggregate notional amounts of 413.0 million Swedish kroner, 638.9 million Norwegian kroner, and 22.0 million European Union euro to economically hedge the foreign currency exposure related to certain of the Company’s short-term borrowings denominated in currencies other than the functional entity's local currency, and other foreign exchanges exposures. These foreign currency forwards were not designated in hedge accounting relationships, and, accordingly, the mark-to-market fair value adjustments and resulting gains were recorded in the the Foreign Exchange (Loss)/Gain line item in the Company's board of directors authorized a share repurchase program to purchase up to $125.0 million of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company purchased 1,311,200 shares of its common stock under the plan at an average price of $34.25 per share which concluded the plan. No shares were purchased during the year ended December 31, 2016. During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company purchased 2,072,721 shares of its common stock under the plan at an average price of $38.60 per share.consolidated income statements.
13.12. Income Taxes:
The income tax expense/(benefit) recognized for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 is comprised of the following (amounts in thousands):
Federal State Foreign TotalFederal State Foreign Total
For the year ended December 31, 2018:       
Current tax expense$23,444
 $9,026
 $37,501
 $69,971
Deferred tax (benefit)(19,527) (15,268) (21,413) (56,208)
Total income tax expense/(benefit)$3,917
 $(6,242) $16,088
 $13,763
For the year ended December 31, 2017:              
Current tax expense$77,656
 $16,543
 $25,087
 $119,286
$77,656
 $16,543
 $25,087
 $119,286
Deferred tax (benefit)(112,118) (2,051) (16,653) (130,822)(112,118) (2,051) (15,969) (130,138)
Total income tax expense/(benefit)$(34,462) $14,492
 $8,434
 $(11,536)
Total income tax (benefit)/expense$(34,462) $14,492
 $9,118
 $(10,852)
For the year ended December 31, 2016:              
Current tax expense$38,986
 $5,037
 $20,868
 $64,891
$38,986
 $5,037
 $20,868
 $64,891
Deferred tax expense/(benefit)(7,350) 575
 (14,925) (21,700)
Deferred tax (benefit)/expense(7,350) 575
 (14,539) (21,314)
Total income tax expense$31,636
 $5,612
 $5,943
 $43,191
$31,636
 $5,612
 $6,329
 $43,577
For the year ended December 31, 2015:       
Current tax expense$62,869
 $9,399
 $25,692
 $97,960
Deferred tax expense/(benefit)2,887
 (600) (10,856) (8,569)
Total income tax expense$65,756
 $8,799
 $14,836
 $89,391
On December 22, 2017, the United States government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”).  The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, including, but not limited to the following provisions which are most relevant the Company, (1) reducing the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent; (2) requiring companies to pay a one-time transition tax on certain unrepatriated earnings of foreign subsidiaries; (3) generally eliminating U.S. federal income taxes on dividends from foreign subsidiaries; (4) requiring a current inclusion in U.S. federal taxable income of certain earnings of controlled foreign corporations referred to as Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (“GILTI”); (5) creating the base erosion anti-abuse tax, a new minimum tax; (6) creating a new limitation on deductible interest expense; and (7) increased limitations on the deductibility of executive compensation.
The Company has not completed its accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act.  Where the Company has been able to make reasonable estimates of the effects for which its analysis is not yet complete, the Company has recorded provisional amounts in accordance with SEC Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118.  Where the Company  has not yet been able to make reasonable estimates of the impact of certain elements, the Company has not recorded any amounts related to those elements and has continued accounting for them in accordance with ASC 740 on the basis of the tax laws in effect immediately prior to the enactment of the Tax Act.
The Company’s accounting for the following elements of the Tax Act is incomplete.  However, thecomplete.  The Company was able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects and, therefore, has recorded provisional amounts as follows:follows through 2018:
Revaluation of deferred tax assets and liabilities: The Tax Act reducesreduced the U.S. federal corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% for tax years beginning after December 31, 2017.  In addition, the Tax Act makesmade certain changes to the depreciation rules and implementsimplemented new limits on the deductibility of certain executive compensation.  The Company has evaluated these changes and has recorded a provisional decrease to net deferred tax liabilities of $73.8$74.5 million with a corresponding increase to deferred tax benefit.  The Company is still completing its calculation of the impact of these changes in its deferred tax balances.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Transition Tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings:earnings ("Transition Tax"): The Transition Tax on unrepatriated foreign earnings is a tax on previously untaxed accumulated and current earnings and profits (“E&P”) of the Company’s foreign subsidiaries.  To determine the amount of the Transition Tax,subsidiaries, and the Company must determine, among other factors, the amount of post-1986 E&P of its foreign subsidiaries, as well as the amount of non-U.S. income tax paid on such earnings.  The Company was
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

able to make a reasonable estimate of the Transition Tax and has provisionally recorded no Transition Tax expense.  The Company is continuing to gather additional information to more precisely compute the amount of the Transition Tax to complete its calculation of E&P as well as the final determination of non-U.S. income taxes paid.
The Company’s accounting for the following elements of the Tax Act is incomplete, and it has not yet been able to make reasonable estimates of certain effects of these items.  Therefore, no provisional amounts were recorded.
GILTI:Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income ("GILTI"):  The Tax Act creates a new requirement that certain income, (i.e., GILTI)such as GILTI, earned by foreign subsidiaries must be included currently in the gross income of the U.S. shareholder.  Due to the complexity of the new GILTI tax rules, the Company is continuing to evaluate the provision of the Tax Act and the application of ASC 740.  Under U.S. GAAP, the Company is permitted to makemade an accounting policy election to either treat taxes due on future inclusions in U.S. taxable income related to GILTI as a current-period expense when incurred or to factor such amounts into the Company’s measurement of its deferred taxes.  The Company has not yet completed its analysis of GILTI tax rules and is not yet able to reasonably estimate the effect of this provision of the Tax Act.  Therefore, the Company has not recorded any amounts related to potential GILTI tax in its financial statements and has not yet made a policy decision regarding whether to record deferred taxes on GILTI.incurred.
Indefinite reinvestment assertion:  Beginning in 2018,assertion did not change due to the Tax Act provides a 100% deduction for dividends received from ten percent owned foreign corporations by U.S. corporate shareholders, subject to a one-year holding period.  Although dividend income will now be exempt from U.S. federal tax in the hands of U.S. corporate shareholders, companies must still apply the guidance of ASC 740-30-25-28 to account for the tax consequences of outside basis differences and other tax impacts of their investments in non-U.S. subsidiaries.  While the Company has provisionally determined that it owes no Transition Tax on the untaxed E&P of the Company's foreign subsidiaries, the Company was unable to determine a reasonable estimate of the remaining tax liability, if any, under the Tax Act for its remaining outside basis differences or evaluate how the Tax Act will affect the Company’s existing accounting position to indefinitely reinvest unremitted foreign earnings.  Therefore, the Company has not included a provisional amount for this item in its financial statements for 2017.  The Company will record amounts as needed for this item beginning in the first reporting period during the measurement period in which the Company obtains necessary information and is able to prepare a reasonable estimate.Tax.
A reconciliation of the Company's expected tax expense at the statutory federal tax rate to actual tax expense/(benefit) for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 2016 and 20152016 is as follows (amounts in thousands):
 2017 2016 2015
Income tax expense at statutory federal rates$55,139
 $46,929
 $90,133
State tax expense, net of federal tax benefit9,072
 3,696
 5,719
Foreign rate difference(4,681) (7,839) (9,495)
Federal rate change(73,779) 
 
Other2,713
 405
 3,034
Total income tax (benefit)/expense$(11,536) $43,191
 $89,391
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

 2018 2017 2016
Income tax expense at statutory federal rates$18,794
 $56,095
 $47,469
State tax (benefit)/expense, net of federal tax benefit(5,098) 9,072
 3,696
Foreign rate difference206
 (4,953) (7,993)
Federal rate change(719) (73,779) 
Other580
 2,713
 405
Total income tax expense/(benefit)$13,763
 $(10,852) $43,577
The Company recognized a net deferred tax liability of $113.7$53.5 million and $229.9$114.7 million as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, respectively. The components of the net deferred tax liability are as follows (amounts in thousands):
2017 20162018 2017
Deferred tax assets:      
Employee compensation$5,190
 $9,120
$4,670
 $5,190
Net operating loss carryforward42,332
 48,298
24,210
 42,332
Accrued liabilities2,750
 5,136
1,850
 2,750
Interest11,027
 10,596
10,559
 11,027
Finance receivable revenue recognition - international27,835
 8,274
37,005
 26,765
Other9,165
 6,154
2,721
 9,165
Total deferred tax asset98,299
 87,578
81,015
 97,229
Deferred tax liabilities:      
Depreciation expense15,417
 7,610
5,556
 15,417
Intangible assets and goodwill8,856
 10,625
5,435
 8,856
Convertible debt14,645
 6,955
10,998
 14,645
Finance receivable revenue recognition - IRS settlement117,026
 
74,296
 117,026
Finance receivable revenue recognition - domestic16,957
 239,337
23,744
 16,957
Other
 893
Total deferred tax liability172,901
 265,420
120,029
 172,901
Net deferred tax liability before valuation allowance74,602
 177,842
39,014
 75,672
Valuation allowance39,054
 52,021
14,512
 39,054
Net deferred tax liability$113,656
 $229,863
$53,526
 $114,726
A valuation allowance for deferred tax assets is recognized and charged to earnings in the period such determination is made, if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax asset will not be realized. If the Company subsequently realized deferred tax assets that were previously determined to be unrealizable, the respective valuation allowance would be reversed, resulting in a positive adjustment to earnings in the period such determination is made. The determination for a valuation allowance is made on a jurisdiction by jurisdiction basis. At December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, the valuation allowance, relating mainly to net operating losses, capital losses and deferred interest expense in Norway, Brazil, UK and Luxembourg, was $39.1$14.5 million and $52.0$39.1 million, respectively. The Company believes it is more likely than not that the results of future operations will generate sufficient taxable income to realize the net deferred tax assets.
For tax purposes,
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

On May 10, 2017, the Company utilizedreached a settlement with the cost recovery method of accounting for its finance receivable income through December 31, 2016. Under the cost recovery method, collections on finance receivables are applied first to principal to reduce the finance receivables balance to zero before taxable income is recognized. The Internal Revenue Service ("IRS") examinedin regards to the Company's 2005 through 2012 tax returns and assertedIRS assertion that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method did not clearly reflect taxable income and therefore issued Notices of Deficiency to the Company for tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012 (the "Notices").income. In response to the Notices, the Company filed petitions in the U.S. Tax Court (the “Tax Court”) challenging the deficiencies and the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017. On May 10, 2017, the Company reached a settlementaccordance with the IRS in regards to the Notices. Under the settlement, both parties agreed that no amounts were due for years 2005 through 2012 and the Tax Court entered decisions to that effect on June 22, 2017. Also, under the settlement, the Company will utilize a newchanged its tax accounting method used to recognize net finance receivables revenue effective with tax year 2017. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections amortizeamortizes principal and the remaining portion is taxable income. The Company will not be required to pay any interest or penalties related to the prior periods. The deferred tax liability related to the difference in timing between the new method and the cost recovery method will be incorporated evenly into the Company’s tax filings over four years.years effective with tax year 2017. The Company was not required to pay any interest or penalties in connection with the settlement.
ASC 740 requires the recognition of interest if the tax law would require interest to be paid on the underpayment of taxes, and recognition of penalties if a tax position does not meet the minimum statutory threshold to avoid payment of penalties. The Company believes it has sufficient support for the technical merits of its positions and that it is more likely than not these positions will be sustained. Accordingly, the Company has not accrued for interest or penalties on any of its tax positions.
At December 31, 2017,2018, the tax years subject to examination by the major federal, state and international taxing jurisdictions are 2013 and subsequent years.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

As of December 31, 2017,2018, the cumulative unremitted earnings of the Company's foreign subsidiaries are approximately $23.8$21.2 million. The Company intends for predominantly all foreign earnings to be indefinitely reinvested in its foreign operations and, therefore, the recording of deferred tax liabilities for such unremitted earnings is not required. It is impracticable to determine the total amount of unrecognized deferred taxes with respect to these indefinitely reinvested earnings.
The Company's foreign subsidiaries had $3.3$71.0 million and $3.7$50.8 million of net operating loss carryforwards net of valuation allowances as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, respectively. Most of the net operating losses do not expire under local law and the remaining jurisdictions allow for a 7 to 20 year carryforward period.
14.13. Commitments and Contingencies:
Employment Agreements:
The Company has entered into employment agreements with all of its U.S. executive officers and with several members of its U.S. senior management group. Such agreements provide for base salary payments as well as potential discretionary bonuses that are based on the attainment of a combination of financial and management goals. As of December 31, 2017,2018, estimated future compensation under these agreements was approximately $21.9$16.1 million. The agreements also contain confidentiality and non-compete provisions. Outside the U.S., employment agreements are in place with employees pursuant to local country regulations. Generally, these agreements do not have expiration dates and therefore it is impractical to estimate the amount of future compensation under these agreements. Accordingly, the future compensation under thesethe non-U.S. agreements is not included in the $21.9$16.1 million total above.
Leases:
The Company is party to various operating leases with respect to its facilities and equipment. The future minimum lease payments at December 31, 20172018 totaled approximately $51.4$55.1 million.
Forward Flow Agreements:
The Company is party to several forward flow agreements that allow for the purchase of nonperforming loans at pre-established prices. The maximum remaining amount to be purchased under forward flow agreements at December 31, 20172018 was approximately $203.2$303.7 million.
Finance Receivables:
Certain agreements for the purchase of finance receivables portfolios contain provisions that may, in limited circumstances, require the Company to refund a portion or all of the collections subsequently received by the Company on particular accounts. The potential refunds as of the balance sheet date are not considered to be significant.
Litigation and Regulatory Matters:
The Company is from time to time subject to routine legal claims, proceedings and regulatory matters, most of which are incidental to the ordinary course of its business. The Company initiates lawsuits against customers and is occasionally countersued by them in such actions. Also, customers, either individually, as members of a class action, or through a governmental entity on behalf of customers, may initiate litigation against the Company in which they allege that the Company has violated a state or
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

federal law in the process of collecting on an account. From time to time, other types of lawsuits are brought against the Company. Additionally, the Company receives subpoenas and other requests or demands for information from regulators or governmental authorities who are investigating the Company's debt collection activities.
The Company accrues for potential liability arising from legal proceedings and regulatory matters when it is probable that such liability has been incurred and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated. This determination is based upon currently available information for those proceedings in which the Company is involved, taking into account the Company's best estimate of such losses for those cases for which such estimates can be made. The Company's estimate involves significant judgment, given the varying stages of the proceedings (including the fact that many of them are currently in preliminary stages), the number of unresolved issues in many of the proceedings (including issues regarding class certification and the scope of many of the claims), and the related uncertainty of the potential outcomes of these proceedings. In making determinations of the likely outcome of pending litigation, the Company considers many factors, including, but not limited to, the nature of the claims, the Company's experience with similar types of claims, the jurisdiction in which the matter is filed, input from outside legal counsel, the likelihood of resolving the matter through alternative mechanisms, the matter's current status and the damages sought or demands made. Accordingly, the Company's estimate will change from time to time, and actual losses could be more than the current estimate.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The Company believes that the estimate of the aggregate range of reasonably possible losses in excess of the amount accrued for its legal proceedings outstanding at December 31, 2017,2018, where the range of loss can be estimated, was not material.
In certain legal proceedings, the Company may have recourse to insurance or third-party contractual indemnities to cover all or portions of its litigation expenses, judgments, or settlements. Loss estimates and accruals for potential liability related to legal proceedings are typically exclusive of potential recoveries, if any, under the Company's insurance policies or third-party indemnities. TheDuring the year ended December 31, 2017, the Company recorded $4.0 million in potential recoveries under the Company's insurance policies or third-party indemnities as ofwhich is included in other receivables, net at December 31, 2017. In the third quarter of 2018, the Company received the aforementioned recoveries.
The matters described below fall outside of the normal parameters of the Company's routine legal proceedings.
Multi-State Investigation
TheOn November 17, 2015, the Company previously received Civil Investigative Demandscivil investigative demands from multiple state AttorneysAttorney General offices ("AGOs") broadly relating to its debt collection practices in the U.S. The Company which has fully cooperated with the investigation, hasinvestigations and discussed potential resolution of the investigationinvestigations with this coalition of Attorneys General,the AGOs. In these discussions, the AGOs have taken positions with which could includethe Company disagrees, including positions related to penalties, restitution and/or the adoption of new practices and controls in the conduct of the Company's business. In these discussions, the state Attorneys General offices have taken positions with which the Company disagrees. If the Company is unable to resolve its differences with this multi-state coalition,the AGOs, it is possible that one or more individual state Attorneys General officesAGOs may file claims against the Company. The range of loss, if any, cannot be estimated at this time.
Internal Revenue Service Audit
The IRS examined the Company's 2005 through 2012 tax returns and asserted that tax revenue recognition using the cost recovery method for its finance receivable income did not clearly reflect taxable income and therefore issued Notices to the Company for tax years ended December 31, 2005 through 2012. In response to the Notices, the Company filed petitions in the Tax Court challenging the deficiencies and the Tax Court set the trial to begin on May 15, 2017. On May 10, 2017, the Company reached a settlement with the IRS in regards to the Notices. Under the settlement, both parties agreed that no amounts were due for years 2005 through 2012 and the Tax Court entered decisions to that effect on June 22, 2017. Also, under the settlement, the Company agreed to utilize a new tax accounting method to recognize net finance receivables revenue effective with tax year 2017. Under the new method, a portion of the annual collections will amortize principal and the remaining portion will be considered taxable income. The Company will not be required to pay any interest or penalties related to the prior periods. The deferred tax liability related to the difference in timing between the new method and the prior method will be incorporated evenly into the Company’s tax filings over four years.
Iris Pounds v. Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC
On November 21, 2016, Iris Pounds filed suit against the Company in Durham County, North Carolina alleging violations of the North Carolina Prohibited Practices by Collection Agencies Act. The purported class consists of all individuals against whom the Company had obtained a judgment by default in North Carolina on or after October 1, 2009. TheOn December 9, 2016, the Company removed the matter to the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina (the "District Court") and has filed a motion to dismiss. On March 28, 2018, the District Court entered an order remanding the matter to the North Carolina state court which the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed on May 17, 2018. On January 11, 2019, the Company filed motions to dismiss and to compel arbitration with the North Carolina state court. The Company is seeking review of that decision before the United States Supreme Court. The range of loss, if any, cannot be estimated at this time due to the uncertainty surrounding liability, class certification and the interpretation of statutory damages.
15.14. Retirement Plans:
The Company sponsors defined contribution plans bothprimarily in the U.S. and Europe. The U.S. plan is organized as a 401(k) plan under which all employees over eighteen years of age are eligible to make voluntary contributions to the plan up to 100% of their compensation, subject to IRS limitations, after completing six months of service, as defined in the plan. The Company makes matching contributions of up to 4% of an employee's salary. For the defined contribution plans in Europe, the Company pays contributions to publicly or privately administered pension insurance plans on a mandatory, contractual or voluntary basis. Total compensation expense related to the Company's contributions was $6.3 million, $5.2 million $5.1 million and $4.3$5.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, and 2015, respectively.
PRA Group, Inc.
16.Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

15. Redeemable Noncontrolling Interest:
With the acquisition of DTP S.A. in 2016, the Company acquired a 20% owned Polish securitization fund (the "Fund"). Under ASC 810-10, the Company has determined that it has control over this Fund and as such has fully consolidated the operations of the Fund. The noncontrolling shareholders have the right to redeem their ownership interests at the current net asset value subject to certain conditions. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company owned 37.5% and 21.7% of the Fund, respectively. Redeemable noncontrolling interest presented in temporary equity on the consolidated balance sheets, represents the interest not owned by the Company and is stated at the greater of the original invested capital or redemption amount.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

Net income attributable to the redeemable noncontrolling interest is stated separately in the Company's consolidated income statements. Additionally, the Company has guaranteed the noncontrolling shareholders a 5.1% per annum return on their investment.  TheAccordingly, for the years ended December 31, 2018 and 2017, the Company recorded a liability for the guaranty in the amountexpense of $0.7 million and $1.0 million, as of December 31, 2017.respectively.
17. Sale16. Sales of Subsidiaries:
On December 20, 2018, the Company sold 79% of its interest in its Brazilian subsidiary RCB's servicing platform for $40.0 million. The Company recognized a pre-tax gain of $26.6 million, which includes a gain of $5.4 million on its 11.7% retained interest. The Company received 25% of the proceeds in the fourth quarter of 2018 and the remaining 75% in the first quarter of 2019. The fair value of the retained interest was estimated based on the transaction price. The Company accounts for its remaining interest in RCB as an equity method investment.
As part of the Company’s strategy to focus on its primary business, of the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans, the Company decided in the fourth quarter of 2016 to sellsold its government services businesses: PRA Government Services, LLC; MuniServices, LLC; and PRA Professional Services, LLC. On January 24,LLC in the first quarter of 2017, the Company completed the sale of its government services businesses for $91.5 million in cash plus additional consideration for certain balance sheet items. The impact of the transactionpre-tax gain on sale was reportedapproximately $46.8 million and was recorded in the first quarter of 2017. The gain on sale was approximately $46.8 million.
On June 30,During the second quarter of 2017, the Company sold its vehicle location, skip tracing and collateral recovery business, PLS, for $4.5 million which resulted in a pre-tax gain on sale of approximately $1.6 million.
17. Correction of Immaterial Errors:
The assetsCompany’s audited consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2018 and liabilities2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity and cash flows for the businesses that were sold during the yearyears ended December 31, 2018, 2017 consistedand 2016, and the related notes, have been corrected for immaterial errors regarding the accounting for secured loans.
Corrections
In 2018, the Company identified and corrected immaterial errors related to the measurement of income on its beneficial rights to certain Austrian portfolios of nonperforming loans. The beneficial rights are accounted for as secured loans.  Income recognized on these arrangements should be recorded in accordance with ASC Topic 310-20, "Receivables - Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs", whereby changes in cash flow estimates should be recognized as retrospective adjustments to yield. Previously, the Company recognized income on the secured loans in accordance with ASC 310-30, which recognizes changes in cash flow estimates as prospective changes to yield.
The Company evaluated the materiality of the errors described in the previous paragraph from a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Based on such evaluation, the Company concluded that they are not material to any individual prior period, nor did they have a material effect on the trend of financial results, taking into account the requirements of SAB No. 108, "Considering the Effect of Prior Year Misstatements when Quantifying Misstatements in Current Year Financial Statements" ("SAB 108"). Accordingly, the Company corrected these errors in every affected period in the 2018, 2017 and 2016 consolidated financial statements.
PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

The impact of the immaterial error corrections described above are presented on an as previously reported basis, and detailed below as corrections, and on an as corrected basis in the following (amounts in thousands)summarized financial data for 2018, 2017 and 2016 (in thousands, except per share data):
 2017
Other receivables, net$8,277
Property and equipment, net4,559
Goodwill29,683
Intangible assets, net1,711
Other assets772
Total assets$45,002
  
Accrued expenses$3,123
Total liabilities$3,123
  
2018 (1)
  Uncorrected Correction As Reported
Income recognized on finance receivables $890,719
 $1,180
 $891,899
Income tax expense 13,468
 295
 13,763
Net income 74,849
 885
 75,734
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. $64,678
 $885
 $65,563
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:      
Basic $1.43
 $0.02
 $1.45
Diluted $1.42
 $0.02
 $1.44
       
Finance receivables, net $3,079,319
 5,458
 $3,084,777
Net deferred tax asset 62,818
 (1,365) 61,453
Net cash provided by operating activities 79,686
 1,180
 80,866
Net cash used in investing activities 386,071
 1,180
 387,251
(1) Included for comparability purposes only. The Company has not previously reported its fourth quarter 2018 results.
  2017
  As Previously Reported Correction As Corrected
Income recognized on finance receivables $792,701
 $2,734
 $795,435
Income tax (benefit)/expense (11,536) 684
 (10,852)
Net income 169,075
 2,050
 171,125
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. $162,265
 $2,050
 $164,315
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:      
Basic $3.55
 $0.05
 $3.60
Diluted $3.54
 $0.05
 $3.59
       
Finance receivables, net $2,771,921
 $4,278
 $2,776,199
Net deferred tax asset 57,529
 (1,070) 56,459
Net cash provided by operating activities (2)
 12,741
 2,734
 15,475
Net cash used in investing activities (2)
 292,226
 2,734
 294,960
  2016
  As Previously Reported Correction As Corrected
Income recognized on finance receivables $843,598
 $1,544
 $845,142
Income tax expense 43,191
 386
 43,577
Net income 90,892
 1,158
 92,050
Net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. $85,097
 $1,158
 $86,255
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:      
Basic $1.84
 $0.02
 $1.86
Diluted $1.83
 $0.03
 $1.86
       
Finance receivables, net $2,307,969
 $1,544
 $2,309,513
Net deferred tax asset 28,482
 (386) 28,096
Net cash provided by operating activities (2)
 204,359
 1,544
 205,903
Net cash used in investing activities (2)
 315,970
 1,544
 317,514
(2) The "As Previously Reported" totals have been adjusted for a reclassification. For additional information on the reclassification see Note 1.



Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures. We maintain disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed in our Exchange Act reports is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and that such information is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that any controls and procedures, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable assurance of achieving the desired control objectives, and management necessarily was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible controls and procedures. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. We conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period covered by this report.Form 10-K. Based on this evaluation, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer have concluded that, as of December 31, 2017,2018, our disclosure controls and procedures were effective.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2017 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting. Internal control over financial reporting is defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) as a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company’s principal executive and principal financial officers and effected by the company’s board of directors, management and other personnel, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) of the Treadway Commission. Based on its assessment under this framework, management has determined that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of December 31, 2017.2018. Our independent registered public accounting firm, KPMG LLP, has issued an audit report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2018, which is included herein.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting. There was no change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2018 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.



Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the stockholdersStockholders and boardBoard of directorsDirectors
PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
We have audited PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries’ (the “Company”)Company) internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).Commission. In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2017,2018, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).Commission.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (“PCAOB”)(PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 20172018 and 2016,2017, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2017,2018, and the related notes (collectively, the “consolidatedconsolidated financial statements”)statements), and our report dated February 27, 2018March 12, 2019 expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.
Basis for Opinion
The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting (Item 9A). Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
/s/ KPMG LLP
Norfolk, Virginia
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019


Item 9B. Other Information.
None.
PART III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance.
The information required by Item 10 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Executive Officers," "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management," "Our Board and Its Committees," "Corporate Governance," and "Report of the Audit Committee" in our definitive Proxy Statement for use in connection with the Company's 20182019 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the "Proxy Statement").
Item 11. Executive Compensation.
The information required by Item 11 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Compensation Discussion and Analysis" and "Compensation Committee Report" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management And Related Stockholder Matters.
The information required by Item 12 is incorporated herein by reference to the section labeled "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence.
The information required by Item 13 is incorporated herein by reference to the sections labeled "Policies for Approval of Related Party Transactions" and "Director Independence" in the Proxy Statement.
Item 14. Principal Accountant Fees and Services.
The information required by Item 14 is incorporated herein by reference to the section labeled "Fees Paid to KPMG" in the Proxy Statement.
PART IV
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)Financial Statements.
The following financial statements are included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K:
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(b)Exhibits.







101.INSXBRL Instance Document
101.SCHXBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document


101.CALXBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.LABXBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PREXBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
101.DEFXBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
                                                                                            

* Denotes management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement in which directors or executive officers are eligible to participate.
Item 16. Form 10-K Summary.
None.


SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
      
    PRA Group, Inc.
    (Registrant)
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Kevin P. Stevenson
     Kevin P. Stevenson
     President and Chief Executive Officer
     (Principal Executive Officer)
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Peter M. Graham
     Peter M. Graham
     Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
     (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)
KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each of the undersigned whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Kevin P. Stevenson and Peter M. Graham, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact, with full power of substitution and resubstitution for him and on his behalf, and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities to execute and sign any and all amendments or post-effective amendments to this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof and the registrant hereby confers like authority on its behalf.
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Kevin P. Stevenson
     Kevin P. Stevenson
     President and Chief Executive Officer
     (Principal Executive Officer)
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Peter M. Graham
     Peter M. Graham
     Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
     (Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)


February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Kevin P. Stevenson
     Kevin P. Stevenson
     Director
      


      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Steven D. Fredrickson
     Steven D. Fredrickson
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Vikram A. Atal
     Vikram A. Atal
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019By:/s/ Danielle M. Brown
Danielle M. Brown
Director
March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Marjorie M. Connelly
     Marjorie M. Connelly
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ John H. Fain
     John H. Fain
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Penelope W. Kyle
     Penelope W. Kyle
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ James A. Nussle
     James A. Nussle
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Geir Olsen
     Geir Olsen
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Scott M. Tabakin
     Scott M. Tabakin
     Director
      
      
February 27, 2018March 12, 2019   By:/s/ Lance L. Weaver
     Lance L. Weaver
     Director

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