Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Objective
This discussion is from the perspective of management and is intended to help the reader understand our financial condition, cash flows and other changes in financial condition and results of operations. It should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K. Additionally, this discussion includes material events and uncertainties known to management that are reasonably likely to cause reported financial information not to be indicative of our future operating results or of our future financial condition.
Executive Overview
We are a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe and Australia. Our primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. For the year ended December 31, 2022 we had:
•Total portfolio purchases of $850.0 million.
•Total cash collections of $1.7 billion.
•Estimated remaining collections ("ERC") of $5.7 billion.
•Cash efficiency ratio of 61.0%.
•Diluted earnings per share of $2.94.
Leading financial industry publications have indicated that excess consumer liquidity has resulted in lower levels of charge offs across most lending institutions, primarily in the U.S. As a result, this has caused a decrease in the supply of portfolios available for purchase in the U.S. during 2021 and 2022 resulting in a lower level of portfolio purchases and pricing pressures. We expect these trends to continue temporarily; however, consistent with our experience during previous economic cycles, we believe charge offs will increase. This should lead to a greater level of supply, which we anticipate could occur in the coming months.
Furthermore, the combination of robust demand for goods and services and lingering supply chain constraints continue to contribute to elevated levels of inflation, rising interest rates, foreign exchange rate fluctuations, and concerns of global recession. We cannot predict the full extent to which these items will impact our business, results of operations and financial condition. See Item 1A of this Form 10-K.
Frequently Used Terms
We may use the following terminology throughout this Form 10-K:
•"Buybacks" refers to purchase price refunded by the seller due to the return of ineligible accounts.
•"Cash collections" refers to collections on our nonperforming loan portfolios.
•"Cash receipts" refers to cash collections on our nonperforming loan portfolios, fees and revenue recognized from our class action claims recovery services.
•"Change in expected recoveries" refers to the differences of actual recoveries received when compared to expected recoveries and the net present value of changes in estimated remaining collections.
•"Core" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios that are nonperforming loans and are not in an insolvent status upon acquisition. 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 nonperforming loan portfolios.
•"Finance receivables" or "receivables" refers to the negative allowance for expected recoveries recorded on our balance sheet as an asset.
•"Insolvency" accounts or portfolios refer to accounts or portfolios of nonperforming loans that are in an insolvent status when we purchase them and as such are purchased as a pool of insolvent accounts. These accounts include IVAs, Trust Deeds in the UK, Consumer Proposals in Canada and bankruptcy accounts in the U.S., Canada, Germany and the UK.
•"Negative Allowance" refers to the present value of expected cash collections on our finance receivables.
•"Portfolio acquisitions" refers to all nonperforming loan portfolios acquired as a result of a purchase, but also includes portfolios added as a result of a business acquisition.
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•"Portfolio purchases" refers to all nonperforming loan portfolios purchased in the normal course of business and excludes those added as a result of business acquisitions.
•"Portfolio income" reflects revenue recorded due to the passage of time using the effective interest rate calculated based on the purchase price of nonperforming loan portfolios and estimated remaining collections.
•"Purchase price" refers to the cash paid to a seller to acquire nonperforming loans.
•"Purchase price multiple" refers to the total estimated collections on our nonperforming loan portfolios divided by purchase price.
•"Recoveries" refers to cash collections plus buybacks and other adjustments.
•"Total estimated collections" or "TEC" refers to actual cash collections plus estimated remaining collections on our nonperforming loan portfolios.
Unless otherwise specified, references to 2022, 2021 and 2020 are for the years ended December 31, 2022, December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively.
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Results of Operations
The results of operations include the financial results of the Company and all of our subsidiaries. Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. Fee Income is now included within Other revenue on our Consolidated Income Statements. The following table sets forth Consolidated Income Statement amounts as a percentage of total revenues for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):
Revenues:
Operating expenses:
Other income and (expense):
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Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared With Year Ended December 31, 2021
Cash Collections
Cash collections for the years indicated were as follows (amounts in millions):
(1) Cash collections adjusted refers to 2021 cash collections translated using 2022 exchange rates.
Cash collections were $1,729.1 million in 2022, a decrease of $332.6 million, or 16.1%, compared to $2,061.7 million in 2021. The decrease was largely due to a decrease of $229.5 million, or 30.6%, in cash collections in U.S. call center and other collections, which we believe was mainly due to higher collections driven by excess consumer liquidity during 2021 coupled with lower levels of portfolio purchasing. Additionally, U.S. legal cash collections decreased $41.2 million, or 12.3%, mainly reflecting the impact from the lower volume of accounts placed in the legal channel in the last few years. Europe cash collections decreased by $53.9 million, or 7.6%, reflecting a $76.1 million impact from the strengthening of the U.S. dollar partially offset by higher levels of portfolio purchases in the last few years.
Revenues
Revenue generation for the years indicated were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Total Portfolio Revenue
Total portfolio revenue was $941.2 million in 2022, a decrease of $132.0 million, or 12.3%, compared to $1,073.2 million in 2021. The decrease was primarily driven by lower levels of portfolio purchasing, lower levels of cash overperformance, and the impact of foreign exchange. These decreases were partially offset by an increase to our forecasted ERC in certain pools.
Other Revenue
Other revenue was $25.3 million in 2022, an increase of $2.8 million, or 12.5%, compared to $22.5 million in 2021. The increase was primarily attributable to settlement timing in our claims processing company, CCB.
Operating Expenses
Total operating expenses were $680.7 million in 2022, a decrease of $40.0 million, or 5.6%, compared to $720.7 million in 2021.
Compensation and Employee Services
Compensation and employee service expenses were $285.5 million in 2022, a decrease of $16.5 million, or 5.5%, compared to $302.0 million in 2021. The decrease was primarily attributable to lower levels of compensation accruals and a decrease in collector compensation expenses in the U.S. call centers. Total full-time equivalents decreased 4.9% to 3,277 as of December 31, 2022 from 3,446 as of December 31, 2021 mainly reflecting natural attrition.
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Legal Collection Fees
Legal collection fees represent contingent fees incurred for the cash collections generated by our independent third-party attorney network. Legal collection fees were $38.4 million in 2022, a decrease of $8.8 million, or 18.6%, compared to $47.2 million in 2021. The decrease was mainly due to lower external legal cash collections in the U.S.
Legal Collection Costs
Legal collection costs primarily consist of costs paid to courts where a lawsuit is filed for the purpose of attempting to collect on an account. Legal collection costs were $76.8 million in 2022, compared to $78.3 million in 2021.
Agency Fees
Agency fees primarily represent third-party collection fees. Agency fees were $63.8 million in 2022, compared to $63.1 million in 2021.
Communication
Communication expenses primarily represent postage and telephone related expenses incurred as a result of our collection efforts. Communication expenses were $39.2 million in 2022, a decrease of $3.6 million, or 8.4%, compared to $42.8 million in 2021. The decrease mainly reflects a decrease in postage expenses due to lower portfolio purchasing in the U.S.
Other
Other expenses were $50.8 million in 2022, a decrease of $10.3 million, or 16.9%, compared to $61.1 million in 2021. The decrease primarily reflects lower advertising costs.
Interest Expense, Net
Interest expense, net for the years indicated were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Coupon interest on convertible notes 12,075 12,075 — —
Interest expense, net was $130.7 million in 2022, an increase of $6.5 million, or 5.3%, compared to $124.1 million in 2021 primarily due to higher interest rates.
Foreign Exchange Gain/(Loss), Net
Foreign exchange gains were $1.0 million in 2022 compared to foreign exchange losses of $0.8 million in 2021. In any given period, we may incur foreign currency exchange gains or losses from transactions in currencies other than the functional currency. Refer to our Currency Exchange Risk discussion in Item 7A of this Form 10-K.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense was $36.8 million in 2022, a decrease of $18.0 million, or 32.8%, compared to $54.8 million in 2021. In 2022, our effective tax rate was 23.8% compared to 21.9% in 2021. The decrease in income tax expense was primarily due to lower income before income taxes, which decreased $95.5 million, or 38.2%. The increase in effective tax rate was mainly due to a change in the mix of income from different taxing justifications, return to provision adjustments and the lack of beneficial tax rate changes offset by valuation allowance releases on net operating losses.
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared To Year Ended December 31, 2020
Refer to Item 7 "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our 2021 Form 10-K for a discussion of our 2021 results compared to our 2020 results.
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Supplemental Performance Data
Finance Receivables Portfolio Performance
We purchase portfolios of nonperforming loans from a variety of credit originators or acquire portfolios through business acquisitions and segregate them into two main portfolio segments: Core or Insolvency, based on the status of the account upon acquisition. In addition, the accounts are segregated into geographical regions based upon where the account was acquired. Ultimately, accounts are aggregated into annual pools based on portfolio segment, geography, and year of acquisition.Portfolios of accounts that were in an insolvency status at the time of acquisition are represented in the Insolvency tables below.All other acquisitions of portfolios of accounts are included in our Core portfolio tables as represented below.Once an account is initially segregated, it is not later transferred from an Insolvency pool to a Core pool or vice versa and the account continues to be accounted for as originally segregated regardless of any future changes in operational status.Specifically, if a Core account files for bankruptcy or insolvency protection after acquisition, we adjust our collection practices to comply with any respective bankruptcy or insolvency rules or policies; however, the account remains in the Core pool.In the event an insolvency account is dismissed from its bankruptcy or insolvency status whether voluntarily or involuntarily, we are typically free to pursue alternative collection activities.
The purchase price multiple represents our estimate of total cash collections over the original purchase price of the portfolio. Purchase price multiples can vary over time due to a variety of factors, including pricing competition, supply levels, paper type, age of the accounts acquired, mix of portfolios purchased and changes in operational efficiency.For example, increased pricing due to elevated levels of competition or supply constraints negatively impacts purchase price multiples as we pay more to buy similar portfolios of nonperforming loans.
Further, there is a direct relationship between the price we pay for a portfolio, the purchase price multiple and the effective interest rate of the pool.When we pay more for a portfolio, the purchase price multiple and effective interest rates are lower. The opposite tends to occur when we pay less for a portfolio. We incur lower collection costs on certain types of accounts we purchase for which we are able to generally pay more for these types of accounts.This typically results in lower purchase price multiples, while generating similar net income margins when compared with other portfolio purchases.Within a given portfolio type, to the extent that lower purchase price multiples are the result of more competitive pricing, this will generally lead to 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 accounts, which impact the cost to collect those accounts. Fresher accounts, for example, typically carry lower associated collection costs, 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 is driven by estimates of the amount and timing of future cash collections. We record new portfolio acquisitions at the purchase price, which reflects the amount we expect to collect discounted at an effective interest rate. During the year of acquisition, portfolios are aggregated into annual pools, and the blended effective interest rate will change to reflect new buying and new cash flow estimates until the end of the year. At that time, the purchase price amount is fixed at the aggregated amounts paid to acquire the portfolio, the effective interest rate is fixed at the amount we expect to collect, discounted at the rate to equate purchase price to the recovery estimate and the currency rates are fixed for purposes of comparability in future periods.Depending on the level of performance and expected future impacts from our operations, we may update ERC and TEC levels based on the results of our cash forecasting with the correlating adjustment to the purchase price multiple.We follow an established process to evaluate ERC.During the first years following purchase, we typically do not increase our purchase price multiples. Following the initial years, as we gain collection experience and confidence with a pool of accounts we may begin to adjust our purchase price multiples.Over time, our TEC has often increased as pools have aged resulting in the ratio of ERC to purchase price for any given year of buying to gradually increase. 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 acquisition than a pool that was just two years from acquisition.
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 categories of portfolio segments and related geographies.
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Purchase Price Multiplesas of December 31, 2022Amounts in thousands
Americas and Australia Core
Americas Insolvency
Europe Core
Europe Insolvency
(1)Includes finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through the acquisition of Aktiv Kapital AS in 2014 (as described in Item 1 of this Form 10-K).
(2)Includes the acquisition date finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through our business acquisitions.
(3)Non-U.S. amounts are presented at the exchange rate at the end of the year in which the portfolio was purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the portfolio are presented at the year-end exchange rate for the respective year of purchase.
(4)Non-U.S. amounts are presented at the year-end exchange rate for the respective year of purchase.
(5)Non-U.S. amounts are presented at the December 31, 2022 exchange rate.
(6)The Original Purchase Price Multiple represents the purchase price multiple at the end of the year of acquisition.
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Americas and Australia Core
Americas Insolvency
Europe Core
Europe Insolvency
(1)Includes finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through the acquisition of Aktiv Kapital AS in 2014 (as described in Item 1 of this Form 10-K).
(2)Non-U.S. amounts are presented using the average exchange rates during the current reporting period.
(3)Non-U.S. amounts are presented at the December 31, 2022 exchange rate.
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Cash Collections
Americas and Australia Core
Americas Insolvency
Europe Core
Europe Insolvency
(1)Non-U.S. amounts are presented using the average exchange rates during the cash collection period.
(2)Includes finance receivables portfolios that were acquired through the acquisition of Aktiv Kapital AS in 2014 (as described in Item 1 of this Form 10-K).
(3)Includes the nonperforming loan portfolios that were acquired through our business acquisitions.
(4)Non-U.S. amounts are presented at the exchange rate at the end of the year in which the portfolios were purchased. In addition, any purchase price adjustments that occur throughout the life of the pool are presented at the year-end exchange rate for the respective year of purchase.
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Estimated Remaining Collections
The following chart shows our ERC of $5,699.7 million at December 31, 2022 by geographical region (amounts in millions).
The following chart shows our ERC by year, by geography as of December 31, 2022. The forecast amounts reflect our current estimate of how much we expect to collect on our portfolios. These estimates are translated to U.S. dollars at the December 31, 2022 exchange rate.
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The following table displays our ERC by year, by geography as of December 31, 2022 (amounts in thousands).
ERC By Year By Geography
Seasonality
Customer payment patterns in all of the countries in which we operate can be affected by seasonal employment trends, income tax refunds, and holiday spending habits. Typically cash collections in the Americas tend to be higher in the first half of the year due to the high volume of income tax refunds received by individuals in the U.S., and trend lower as the year progresses. In the first half of 2022, this spike was not as pronounced. Additionally, 2021 and 2020 deviated from usual seasonal patterns due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cash Collections
The following table displays our quarterly cash collections by geography and portfolio type, for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands).
Cash Collections by Geography and Type
The following table provides additional details on the composition of our Core cash collections for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands).
Cash Collections by Source - Core Portfolios Only
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Collections Productivity (U.S. Portfolio)
The following table displays a collections productivity measure for our U.S. portfolios for the periods indicated.
Cash Collections per Collector Hour PaidU.S. Portfolio
Call center and other cash collections (1)
(1)Represents total cash collections less internal legal cash collections, external legal cash collections and Insolvency cash collections from trustee-administered accounts.
Cash Efficiency Ratio
The following table displays our cash efficiency ratio for the periods indicated.
Cash Efficiency Ratio (1)
(1) Calculated by dividing cash receipts less operating expenses by cash receipts.
Portfolio Acquisitions
The following chart shows the purchase price of our portfolios by year since 2012. It also includes the acquisition date portfolios that were acquired through our business acquisitions.
* 2014 includes portfolios acquired in connections with the acquisition of Aktiv Kapital AS in 2014 (as described in Item 1 of this Form 10-K).
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The following table displays our quarterly portfolio acquisitions for the periods indicated (amounts in thousands).
Portfolio Acquisitions by Geography and Type
Portfolio Acquisitions by Stratifications (U.S. Only)
The following table categorizes our quarterly U.S. portfolio acquisitions for the periods indicated into major asset type and delinquency category. Since our inception in 1996, we have acquired more than 60.0 million customer accounts in the U.S. (amounts in thousands).
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Major Asset Type
U.S. Portfolio Acquisitions by Delinquency Category
(1) Fresh accounts are typically past due 120 to 270 days, charged-off by the credit originator and sold prior to any post-charge-off collection activity.
(2) Primary accounts are typically 240 to 450 days past due, charged-off and have been previously placed with one contingent fee servicer.
(3) Secondary accounts are typically 360 to 630 days past due, charged-off and have been previously placed with two contingent fee servicers.
(4) Other accounts are 480 days or more past due, charged-off and have previously been worked by three or more contingent fee servicers.
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Non-GAAP Financial Measures
We report our financial results in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). However, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, including adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA"), to evaluate our operating and financial performance as well as to set performance goals. We present Adjusted EBITDA because we consider it an important supplemental measure of operations and financial performance. Management believes Adjusted EBITDA helps provide enhanced period-to-period comparability of operations and financial performance, as it excludes certain items whose fluctuations from period to period do not necessarily correspond to changes in the operations of our business, and is useful to investors as other companies in the industry report similar financial measures. Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as an alternative to net income determined in accordance with GAAP. In addition, our calculation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to the calculation of similarly titled measures presented by other companies.
Adjusted EBITDA is calculated starting with our GAAP financial measure, net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc. and is adjusted for:
•income tax expense (or less income tax benefit);
•foreign exchange loss (or less foreign exchange gain);
•interest expense, net (or less interest income, net);
•other expense (or less other income);
•depreciation and amortization;
•net income attributable to noncontrolling interests; and
•recoveries applied to negative allowance less changes in expected recoveries.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to PRA Group, Inc., as reported in accordance with GAAP, to Adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020 (amounts in thousands).
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Adjustments:
(1) Other expense/(income) reflects non-operating related activity.
Additionally, we evaluate our business using certain ratios that use Adjusted EBITDA, including Debt to Adjusted EBITDA, which is calculated by dividing borrowings by Adjusted EBITDA.The following table reflects our Debt to Adjusted EBITDA at December 31, 2022 and 2021 (amounts in thousands).
Debt to Adjusted EBITDA
Debt to Adjusted EBITDA 2.25 x 1.89 x
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
We actively manage our liquidity to help provide access to sufficient funding to meet our business needs and financial obligations.
Sources of Liquidity
Cash and cash equivalents. As of December 31, 2022, cash and cash equivalents totaled $83.4 million, of which $75.3 million consisted of cash on hand related to international operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings. See the "Undistributed Earnings of International Subsidiaries" section below for more information.
Borrowings. At December 31, 2022, we had the following borrowings outstanding and availability under our credit facilities (amounts in thousands):
Outstanding Available without Restrictions Available with Restrictions (1)
Less: Debt discounts and issuance costs (10,393) — —
(1) Available borrowings after calculation of borrowing base and debt covenants as of December 31, 2022.
(2) Includes North American revolving credit facility and Colombian revolving credit facility.
On February 6, 2023, we completed the private offering of $400.0 million in aggregate principal amount of our 8.375% Senior Notes due February 1, 2028 ("2028 Notes"). We deposited $345.0 million of the net proceeds from the offering into a newly-formed segregated deposit account and will use such proceeds to retire all or any portion of our 2023 Convertible Notes or to satisfy any other obligations with respect to our 2023 Convertible Notes. We used the remainder of the net proceeds from the offering to repay a portion of our outstanding borrowings under our North American revolving credit facility.
Interest-bearing deposits. Per the terms of our European credit facility, we are permitted to obtain interest-bearing deposit funding of up to SEK 1.2 billion (approximately $115.0 million as of December 31, 2022). Interest-bearing deposits as of December 31, 2022 were $113.0 million.
Furthermore, we have the ability to slow the purchase of nonperforming loans if necessary, and use the net cash flow generated from our cash collections from our portfolio of existing nonperforming loans to temporarily service our debt and fund existing operations. For example, we invested $850.0 million in portfolio acquisitions in 2022. The portfolios acquired in 2022 generated $109.4 million of cash collections, representing only 6.3% of 2022 cash collections.
Uses of Liquidity and Material Cash Requirements
Forward Flows. Contractual obligations over the next year are primarily related to purchase commitments. As of December 31, 2022, we have forward flow commitments in place for the purchase of nonperforming loans with a maximum purchase price of $792.2 million, of which $722.9 million is due within the next 12 months. The $792.2 million includes $461.1 million for the Americas and Australia and $331.1 million for Europe. We may also enter into new or renewed forward flow commitments and close on spot transactions in addition to the aforementioned forward flow agreements.
Borrowings. Of our $2.5 billion of borrowings at December 31, 2022, estimated interest, unused fees and principal payments for the next 12 months are approximately $489.7 million, of which, $345.0 million relates to principal payment due on our 2023 Convertible Notes, which, as discussed above, we will retire using the funds from the offering of our 2028 Notes that we deposited in the segregated deposit account. Beyond 12 months our principal payment obligations related to debt maturities occur between one and seven years. Many of our financing arrangements include restrictive covenants with which we must comply. As of December 31, 2022, we determined that we were in compliance with these covenants. For more information, see Note 6 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
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Share Repurchase. On February 25, 2022, we completed our $230.0 million share repurchase program. Also on February 25, 2022, our Board of Directors approved a new share repurchase program under which we are authorized to repurchase up to $150.0 million of our outstanding common stock. Repurchases may be made from time-to-time in open market transactions, through privately negotiated transactions, in block transactions, through purchases made in accordance with trading plans adopted under Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act, or other methods, subject to market and/or other conditions and applicable regulatory requirements. The new share repurchase program has no stated expiration date and does not obligate us to repurchase any specified amount of shares, remains subject to the discretion of our Board of Directors and, subject to compliance with applicable laws, may be modified, suspended or discontinued at any time. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we repurchased 2,331,364 shares of our common stock for approximately $99.4 million. As of December 31, 2022, we had $67.7 million remaining for share repurchases under the new program.
Leases. The majority of our leases have remaining lease terms of one to 14 years. As of December 31, 2022, we had $59.4 million in lease liabilities, of which $10.8 million matures within the next 12 months. For more information, see Note 4 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Derivatives. Derivative financial instruments are entered into to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable rate debt and foreign currency exchange rates. As of December 31, 2022, we had $19.1 million of derivative liabilities, all of which mature within the next 12 months. For more information, see Note 9 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
We believe that funds generated from operations and from cash collections on nonperforming loan portfolios, together with existing cash, available borrowings under our revolving credit facilities, including recent modifications to the terms of those facilities, and access to the capital markets will be sufficient to finance our operations, planned capital expenditures, forward flow purchase commitments, debt maturities and additional portfolio purchases during the next 12 months and beyond. We may seek to access the debt or equity capital markets as we deem appropriate, market permitting. Business acquisitions or higher than expected levels of portfolio purchasing could require additional financing from other sources.
Cash Flows Analysis
The following table summarizes our cash flow activity for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 (amounts in thousands):
Total cash provided by (used in):
Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents $ (4,314) $ (31,975) $ 27,661
Operating Activities
Cash provided by operating activities mainly reflects cash collections recognized as revenue partially offset by cash paid for operating expenses, interest and income taxes. Net income was adjusted for (i) non-cash items included in net income such as provisions for unrealized gains and losses, changes in expected recoveries, depreciation and amortization, deferred taxes, fair value changes in equity securities and stock-based compensation as well as (ii) changes in the balances of operating assets and liabilities, which can vary significantly in the normal course of business due to the amount and timing of payments.
Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $63.3 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, mainly driven by lower cash collections recognized as portfolio income, lower cash paid for income taxes, and the impact of foreign exchange.
Investing Activities
Cash provided by investing activities mainly reflects recoveries applied to our negative allowance. Cash used in investing activities mainly reflects acquisitions of nonperforming loans and net investment activity.
Net cash provided by investing activities decreased $39.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily driven by a decrease of $211.1 million in recoveries applied to negative allowance partially offset by decreases in purchases of finance receivables and investments of $127.5 million and $47.9 million, respectively.
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Financing Activities
Cash provided by financing activities is normally provided by draws on our lines of credit and proceeds from debt offerings. Cash used in financing activities is primarily driven by principal payments on our lines of credit and long-term debt.
Cash used in financing activities decreased $141.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, primarily due to net proceeds from our lines of credit of $8.5 million in 2022 compared to net payments on our lines of credit of $393.2 million in 2021. Additionally, proceeds from debt issuance decreased $350.0 million and repurchases of our common stock decreased $89.5 million.
Undistributed Earnings of International Subsidiaries
We intend to use predominantly all of our accumulated and future undistributed earnings of international subsidiaries to expand operations outside the U.S.; therefore, such undistributed earnings of international 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 international 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 international earnings. The amount of cash on hand related to international operations with indefinitely reinvested earnings was $75.3 million and $61.9 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Refer to the Note 13 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for further information related to our income taxes and undistributed international earnings.
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.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Our Consolidated Financial Statements have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. Some of our significant accounting policies require that we use estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the reported amounts of revenues, expenses, assets and liabilities. For a discussion of our significant accounting policies refer to Note 1 to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
We consider accounting estimates to be critical if (1) the accounting estimates made involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and (2) has had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations.We base our estimates on historical experience, current trends and 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.
We have determined that the following accounting policies involve critical estimates:
Revenue Recognition - Finance Receivables
Revenue recognition for finance receivables involves the use of estimates and the exercise of judgment on the part of management. These estimates include projections of the amount and timing of cash collections we expect to receive from our pools of accounts. We review individual pools for trends, actual performance versus projections and curve shape (a graphical depiction of the amount and timing of cash collections). We then project ERC and then apply a discounted cash flow methodology to our ERC. Adjustments to ERC may include adjustments reflecting recent collection trends, our view of current and future economic conditions, changes in collection assumptions or other timing related adjustments that could impact TEC. In 2022, total adjustments of this nature resulted in a net positive change in the estimate of future recoveries of $62.2 million.
Significant changes in our cash flow estimates could result in increased or decreased revenue as we immediately recognize the discounted value of such changes using the constant effective interest rate of the pool. Generally, adjustments to estimated cash forecasts for performance experienced in the current period result in an adjustment to revenue at an amount less than the impact of the overperformance due to the effects of discounting. Additionally, cash collection forecast increases will generally result in more revenue being recognized and cash collection forecast decreases will generally result in less revenue being recognized over the life of the pool. As we continue to perform against expectations, performance may vary, which could result in additional adjustments to our cash flow forecasts with a corresponding adjustment to total portfolio revenue.
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Income Taxes
We are subject to income taxes throughout the U.S. and in numerous 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 non-U.S. income tax expense, we make judgments about the application of these inherently complex laws.
We record 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 carryforwards. 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.
We exercise significant judgment in estimating the potential exposure to unresolved tax matters and apply a more likely than not criteria approach for recording tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions in the application of the complex tax laws. While actual results could vary, we believe we have adequate tax accruals with respect to the ultimate outcome of such unresolved tax matters. We record interest and penalties related to unresolved tax matters as a component of income tax expense when the more likely than not standards are met.
If all or part of the deferred tax assets are determined not to be realizable in the future, we would establish a valuation allowance and charge to earnings the impact in the period such a 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. 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 carryforwards 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. For further information regarding our uncertain tax positions, refer to Note 13 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 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 and currency derivatives, to reduce our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt, fluctuations in currency rates 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 an investment-grade credit rating. Our intention is to spread our counterparty credit risk across a number of counterparties so that exposure to a single counterparty is minimized.
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 $1.5 billion as of December 31, 2022. Based on our current debt structure at December 31, 2022, assuming a 50 basis point decrease in interest rates, for example, interest expense over the following 12 months would decrease by an estimated $4.6 million. Assuming a 50 basis point increase in interest rates, interest expense over the following 12 months would increase by an estimated $4.6 million.
To reduce the exposure to changes in the market rate of interest and to be in compliance with the terms of our European and our UK revolving credit facilities, we have entered into interest rate derivative contracts for a portion of our borrowings under our floating rate financing arrangements. As of December 31, 2022, we are 65% hedged on a notional basis. We 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 (loss)/income. All derivatives to which we have applied hedge accounting were evaluated and remained highly effective at December 31, 2022. Terms of the interest rate derivative contracts require us to
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receive a variable interest rate and pay a fixed interest rate. The sensitivity calculations above consider the impact of our interest rate derivative contracts and zero interest rate floors on revolving loans under our North America, UK and European credit facilities.
Currency Exchange Risk
We operate internationally and enter into transactions denominated in various foreign currencies. In 2022, we generated $445.8 million of revenues from operations outside the U.S. and used 12 functional currencies, excluding the U.S. dollar. 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. From time to time we may elect to enter into foreign exchange derivative contracts to reduce these variations 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 (loss)/income 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 organized our European operations so that portfolio ownership and collections generally occur within the same entity. Our European and UK credit facilities are multi-currency facilities, allowing us to better match funding and portfolio acquisitions by currency. We actively monitor the value of our finance receivables by currency. In the event adjustments are required to our liability composition by currency we may, from time to time, execute re-balancing foreign exchange contracts to more closely align funding and portfolio acquisitions by currency.
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
Index to Financial Statements
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms 40
Consolidated Balance Sheets 43
Consolidated Income Statements 44
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 45
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity 46
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 47
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 48
1 – General and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 48
2– Finance Receivables, net 53
3 – Investments 56
6 – Borrowings 58
7 – Property and Equipment, net 63
8 – Fair Value 63
9 – Derivatives 65
10 – Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss 66
11 – Share-Based Compensation 67
12 – Earnings per Share 69
14 – Commitments and Contingencies 72
15 – Retirement Plans 74
16 – Subsequent Events 74
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of PRA Group, Inc. (the “Company”) as of December 31, 2022, the related consolidated income statement, statement of comprehensive income, statement of changes in equity and statement of cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year ended December 31, 2022, 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), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2022, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 27, 2023 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s 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 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 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 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 financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.
40
Estimate of expected future recoveries on purchased credit deteriorated assets
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2021.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Richmond, Virginia
February 27, 2023
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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Stockholders and Board of Directors
PRA Group, Inc.:
Opinion on the Consolidated Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheet of PRA Group, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of December 31, 2021, the related consolidated income statements, statements of comprehensive income, changes in equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the two‐year period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively, the consolidated financial statements). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the two‐year period ended December 31, 2021, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for convertible instruments as of January 1, 2021 due to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2020-06, Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity.
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 Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (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 served as the Company’s auditor from 2007 to 2022.
Norfolk, Virginia
February 28, 2022
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PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Balance Sheets
December 31, 2022 and 2021
(Amounts in thousands)
Assets
Liabilities and Equity
Liabilities:
Equity:
Additional paid-in capital 2,172 —
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Income Statements
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)
Revenues:
Operating expenses:
Other income and (expense):
Net income per share attributable to PRA Group, Inc.:
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
(Amounts in thousands)
Other comprehensive (loss)/income, net of tax
Debt securities available-for-sale (16) (348) 171
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
(Amounts in thousands)
Shares Amount
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:
Debt securities available-for-sale — — — — 171 — 171
Distributions to noncontrolling interest — — — — — (30,276) (30,276)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest — — — — — 1,118 1,118
Vesting of restricted stock 169 2 (2) — — — —
Share-based compensation expense — — 14,387 — — — 14,387
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes — — (3,299) — — — (3,299)
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:
Debt securities available-for-sale — — — — (348) — (348)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest — — — — — (21,411) (21,411)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest — — — — — 23,413 23,413
Vesting of restricted stock 264 2 (2) — — — —
Shared-based compensation expense — — 15,940 — — — 15,940
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes — — (5,992) — — — (5,992)
Components of comprehensive income, net of tax:
Debt securities available-for-sale — — — — (16) — (16)
Distributions to noncontrolling interest — — — — — (6,691) (6,691)
Contributions from noncontrolling interests — — — — — 17,554 17,554
Vesting of restricted stock 303 4 (4) — — — —
Share-based compensation expense — — 13,047 — — — 13,047
Employee stock relinquished for payment of taxes — — (8,472) — — — (8,472)
(1) Refer to Note 1 for further detail.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
For the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
(Amounts in thousands)
Cash flows from operating activities:
Fair value in earnings for equity securities 437 (386) 977
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Right of use assets/lease liabilities 464 82 (11)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Business acquisition, net of cash acquired — (647) —
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payments on convertible senior notes — — (287,442)
Proceeds from long-term debt — — 55,000
Tax withholdings related to share-based payments (8,472) (5,992) (3,301)
Distributions paid to noncontrolling interest (6,691) (21,411) (30,276)
Other financing activities — — (3,185)
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reconciliation:
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.
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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, is a global financial and business services company with operations in the Americas, Europe and Australia. The Company's primary business is the purchase, collection and management of portfolios of nonperforming loans. The Company also provides fee-based services on class action claims recoveries and by servicing of consumer bankruptcy accounts in the United States ("U.S.").
Basis of presentation: The Consolidated Financial Statements of the Company are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"). 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.
Change in accounting principle: Beginning January 1, 2021, the Company implemented Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2020-06 Debt-Debt with Conversion and Other Options (Subtopic 470-20) and Derivatives and Hedging-Contracts in Entity’s Own Equity (Subtopic 815-40): Accounting for Convertible Instruments and Contracts in an Entity’s Own Equity ("ASU 2020-06") using a modified retrospective method.
Reclassification of prior year presentation: Certain prior year amounts have been reclassified for consistency with the current year presentation. Fee income is now included within Other revenue on the Consolidated Income Statements.
Consolidation: The Consolidated Financial Statements include the accounts of PRA Group and other entities in which the Company has a controlling interest. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.
Entities in which the Company has a controlling financial interest, through ownership of the majority of the entities’ voting equity interests, or through other contractual rights that give the Company control, consist of entities that purchase and collect on portfolios of nonperforming loans.
Investments in companies in which the Company has significant influence over operating and financing decisions, but does not own a majority of the voting equity interests, are accounted for in accordance with the equity method of accounting, which requires the Company to recognize its proportionate share of the entity’s net earnings. These investments are included in Other assets, with income or loss included in Other revenue.
The Company performs on-going reassessments whether changes in the facts and circumstances regarding the Company’s involvement with an entity cause the Company’s consolidation conclusion to change.
Foreign currency: Assets and liabilities have been translated to the reporting currency using the exchange rates in effect on the Consolidated Balance Sheets 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 international subsidiaries are recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)/income in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity.
Segments: The Company has determined that it has two operating segments that meet the aggregation criteria of Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 280, Segment Reporting ("ASC 280"), and, therefore, it has one reportable segment, accounts receivable management. This conclusion is based on similarities among the operating segments, including economic characteristics, the nature of the products and services, the nature of the production processes, the types or classes of customers for their products and services, the methods used to distribute their products and services and the nature of the regulatory environment.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Revenues and long-lived assets by geographical location: Revenue for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, and long-lived assets held at December 31, 2022 and 2021, both for the U.S., the Company's country of domicile, and outside of the U.S. were (amounts in thousands):
Revenues (2) Long-Lived Assets
(1) None of the countries included in "Others" comprise greater than 10% of the Company's consolidated revenues or long-lived assets.
(2) Based on the Company’s financial statement information used to produce the Company's general-purpose financial statements, it is impracticable to report further breakdowns of revenues from external customers by product or service.
Revenues are attributed to countries based on the location of the related operations. Long-lived assets consist of net property and equipment and right-of-use assets. The Company reports revenues earned from collection activities on finance receivables, fee-based services and investments. For additional information on the Company's investments, see Note 3.
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.
Restricted cash: Cash that is subject to legal restrictions or is unavailable for general operating purposes is classified as restricted cash and included in Other assets on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Concentrations of credit risk: Financial instruments, which potentially expose the Company to concentrations of credit risk, consist primarily of cash and cash equivalents, investments, derivative instruments and finance receivables.
Accumulated other comprehensive loss: The Company records unrealized gains and losses on certain available-for-sale investments and foreign currency translation adjustments in other comprehensive income ("OCI"). 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 international 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 OCI.
Investments:
Debt Securities: The Company determines the appropriate classification of its investments in debt 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. Held-to-maturity securities are carried at amortized cost. Debt securities for which the Company does not have the intent or ability to hold to maturity are classified as available-for-sale. Available-for-sale securities are carried at fair market value. Fair value is determined using quoted market prices. Unrealized gains and losses are included in comprehensive income and reported in stockholders' equity. The Company evaluates debt securities for impairment. When there has been a decline in fair value below the amortized cost, the Company recognizes an impairment if: (1) it has the intent to sell the security; (2) it is more likely than not that it will be required to sell the security before recovery of the amortized cost; or (3) it does not expect to recover the entire amortized cost of the security. If the Company identifies that the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses, the credit loss component is recognized as an allowance on the Consolidated Balance Sheets with a corresponding charge to Other expense on the Consolidated Income Statements. The non-credit loss component remains in Other comprehensive loss until realized from a sale or subsequent impairment.
Equity Securities: Investments in equity securities are measured at fair value with changes in unrealized gains and losses reported in earnings.
Equity Method Investments:Equity investments that are not consolidated, but over which the Company exercises significant influence, are accounted for as equity method investments. 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
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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
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's financial assets (or a group of financial assets) are measured at amortized cost and presented at the net amount expected to be collected.
Credit quality information: 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. The Company accounts for the portfolios in accordance with the guidance for purchased credit deteriorated ("PCD") assets. The initial allowance for credit losses is added to the purchase price rather than recorded as a credit loss expense. The Company has established a policy to write off the amortized cost of individual assets when it deems probable that it will not collect on an individual asset. Due to the deteriorated credit quality of the individual accounts, the Company may write off the unpaid principal balance of all accounts in a portfolio at the time of acquisition. However, when the Company has an expectation of collecting cash flows at the portfolio level, a negative allowance is established for expected recoveries at an amount not to exceed the amount paid for the financial portfolios. The negative allowance is recorded as an asset and presented as Finance receivables, net on the Company's Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Portfolio segments: The Company develops systematic methodologies to determine its allowance for credit losses at the portfolio segment level. The Company’s nonperforming loan portfolio segments consist of two broad categories: Core and Insolvency. The Company’s Core portfolios contain loan accounts that are in default, which were purchased at a substantial discount to face value because either the credit originator and/or other third-party collection agencies have been unsuccessful in collecting the full balance owed. The Company’s Insolvency portfolios contain loan accounts that are in default and the customer is involved in a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding and the accounts were purchased at a substantial discount to face value. Each of the two broad portfolio segments of purchased nonperforming loan portfolios consist of large numbers of homogeneous receivables with similar risk characteristics.
Effective interest rate and accounting pools: Within each portfolio segment, the Company pools accounts with similar risk characteristics that are acquired in the same year. Similar risk characteristics generally include portfolio segment and geographic region. The initial effective interest rate of the pool is established based on the purchase price and expected recoveries of each individual purchase at the purchase date. During the year of acquisition, the annual pool is aggregated, and the blended effective interest rate will adjust to reflect new acquisitions and new cash flow estimates until the end of the year. The effective interest rate for a pool is fixed for the remaining life of the pool once the year has ended.
Methodology: The Company develops its estimates of expected recoveries in the Consolidated Balance Sheets by applying discounted cash flow methodologies to its estimated remaining collections ("ERC") and recognizes income over the estimated life of the pool at the constant effective interest rate of the pool. Subsequent changes (favorable and unfavorable) in expected cash flows are recognized within Changes in expected recoveries in the Consolidated Income Statements by adjusting the present value of increases or decreases in ERC at a constant effective interest rate. Amounts included in the estimate of recoveries do not exceed the aggregate amount of the amortized cost basis previously written off or expected to be written off.
The measurement of expected recoveries is based on relevant information about past events, including historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the reported amount. Development of the Company’s forecasts rely on both quantitative and qualitative factors. Qualitative factors can include both external and internal information and consider management’s view on available facts and circumstances at each reporting period. More specifically, external factors that may have an impact on the collectability, and subsequently on the overall profitability of acquired portfolios of nonperforming loans, would 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 acquired portfolios of nonperforming loans, would include necessary revisions to initial and post-acquisition operational scoring and modeling estimates, operational activities, expected impact of operational strategies and changes in productivity related to turnover and tenure of the Company's collection staff.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Portfolio income: The recognition of income on expected recoveries is based on the constant effective interest rate established for a pool.
Changes in expected recoveries: The activity consists of differences between actual recoveries compared to expected recoveries for the reporting period, as well as the net present value of increases or decreases in ERC at the constant effective interest rate.
Agreements to acquire the aforementioned receivables include general representations and warranties from the sellers covering matters such as account holder death or insolvency 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, with certain international agreements extending as long as 24 months. Any funds received from the seller as a return of purchase price are referred to as buybacks. Buyback funds are included in changes in expected recoveries when received.
Fees paid to third parties other than the seller related to the direct acquisition of a portfolio of accounts are expensed when incurred.
Fee income recognition: The Company recognizes revenue from its class action claims recovery services when there is persuasive evidence that an arrangement exists, delivery has occurred or services have been rendered, the amount is fixed or determinable, and collectability is reasonably assured. This revenue is included within Other revenue in the Company's Consolidated Income 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 as incurred. Property and equipment are depreciated over their useful lives using the straight-line method of depreciation. Software and computer equipment are generally amortized or depreciated over three to five years. Furniture and fixtures are depreciated over ten years. Equipment is depreciated over five years. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the remaining term of the lease. Building improvements are depreciated straight-line over ten to 39 years. When property is sold or retired, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet and any gain or loss is included in the Company's Consolidated Income Statements.
Goodwill: Goodwill 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 of goodwill 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, an impairment loss is recognized. The loss will be recorded at the amount by which the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value, not to exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the respective reporting unit.
Convertible Notes: The Company has outstanding 3.50% Convertible Notes due 2023 (the "2023 Notes" or "Convertible Notes") which are accounted for as a single liability measured at amortized cost. See Note 6 for additional information.
Income taxes: 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 carryforwards. 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 Company is subject to income taxes throughout the U.S. and in numerous international jurisdictions. The Company recognizes the financial statement benefits of a tax position if it is more likely than not to be sustained in the event of challenges by relevant taxing authorities based on the technical merit. The amounts of benefit to recognize in the financial statements are the largest benefits that have a greater than 50 percent likelihood of being realized upon settlement with the relevant tax authorities. The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as a component of income tax expense when the more likely than not standards are not met.
In preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company exercises significant judgment in estimating the potential exposure to unresolved tax matters and applies a more likely than not criteria approach for recording tax benefits related to uncertain tax positions in the application of complex tax laws. While actual results could vary, the Company believes it has adequate tax accruals with respect to the ultimate outcome of such tax matters.
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PRA Group, Inc.
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
The Company, establishes a valuation allowance in the period in which it determines that part or all of the deferred tax asset is not realizable. 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.
Leases: The Company recognizes a liability for future lease payments and a right-of-use ("ROU") asset representing its right to use the underlying asset for the lease term on the balance sheet.
The Company's operating lease portfolio primarily includes corporate offices and call centers. The majority of its leases have remaining lease terms of one year to 14 years, some of which include options to extend the leases for up to five years, and others include options to terminate the leases within one year. Exercises of lease renewal options are typically at the Company's sole discretion and are included in its ROU assets and lease liabilities based upon whether the Company is reasonably certain of exercising the renewal options. The Company has lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for separately. The Company's lease agreements do not contain any material residual value guarantees or material restrictive covenants.
As most of the Company's leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value of the lease payments.
Share-based compensation: Compensation expense associated with share equity awards are recognized in the income statement. The Company determines stock-based compensation expense for all share-based payment awards based on the measurement date fair value. The Company has certain share awards that include market conditions that affect vesting. The fair value of these shares is estimated using a lattice model. Compensation cost is not adjusted if the market condition is not met, as long as the requisite service is provided. The Company estimates a forfeiture rate for most equity share 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 11 for additional information.
Derivatives: The Company periodically enters into derivative financial instruments, typically interest rate swap agreements, interest rate caps, and foreign currency contracts to reduce its exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on variable-rate debt and foreign currency exchange rates. The Company does not utilize derivative financial instruments with a level of complexity or with a risk greater than the exposure to be managed nor does it enter into or hold derivatives for trading or speculative purposes.
All of the Company's outstanding derivative financial instruments are recognized in the balance sheet at their fair values. The effect on earnings 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 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 loss. Amounts in Accumulated other comprehensive loss are reclassified to earnings when the related hedged items affect earnings 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 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 or 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, 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 derivative financial instruments used in hedging transactions are effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of the related underlying exposures.
The Company discontinues the use of hedge accounting prospectively when (1) the derivative instrument is no longer effective in offsetting changes in fair value or cash flows of the underlying hedged item; (2) the derivative instrument expires, is
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sold, terminated, or exercised; or (3) designating the derivative instrument as a hedge is no longer appropriate. See Note 9 for additional information.
Use of estimates: The preparation of the Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP 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 commitments and contingencies when a loss is probable and estimable. The Company expenses related legal costs as incurred. See Note 14 for additional information.
Estimated fair value of financial instruments: 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. The Company takes into consideration 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.
Recent accounting pronouncements:
Recently issued accounting standards adopted:
Reference Rate Reform
In January 2021, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2021-01, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Overall" ("ASU 2021-01"). ASU 2021-01 expands the scope of Reference Rate Reform ("ASC 848") to include derivatives affected by the discounting transition for certain optional expedients and exceptions. ASU 2021-01 was effective immediately for a limited time through December 31, 2022. The Company assessed whether amendments and modifications to its swap agreements and borrowing agreements qualify for any optional expedients. During the first quarter of 2022, the Company elected certain optional expedients under ASC 848 to maintain cash flow hedge accounting for swap agreements with a combined notional amount of $422.8 million after interest rate swaps that were indexed to the Gross Domestic Product ("GDP") London Inter-Bank Offer Rate ("LIBOR") converted to the Sterling Overnight Index Average ("SONIA"), effective January 1, 2022. In the second quarter of 2022, the Company exited the relief provisions under ASC 848 after updating the hedged risk on these cash flow hedges to reflect SONIA-based cash flows expected to occur under the United Kingdom ("UK") Credit Agreement.
In December 2022, the FASB issued ASU 2022-06, "Reference Rate Reform (Topic 848): Deferral of the Sunset Date ("ASU 2022-06"). ASU 2022-06 defers the sunset date from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024, after which entities will no longer be permitted to apply the relief in Topic 848.
Recently issued accounting standards not yet adopted:
The Company does not expect that any other recently issued accounting pronouncements will have a material effect on its Consolidated Financial Statements.
2. Finance Receivables, net:
Finance receivables, net consisted of the following at December 31, 2022 and 2021 (amounts in thousands):
Amortized cost $ — $ —
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Changes in the negative allowance for expected recoveries by portfolio segment for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Core Insolvency Total
Core Insolvency Total
(1) Initial negative allowance for expected recoveries - portfolio acquisitions
Portfolio acquisitions for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Core Insolvency Total
Core Insolvency Total
The initial negative allowance recorded on portfolio acquisitions for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Core Insolvency Total
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Core Insolvency Total
(2) Recoveries applied to negative allowance
Recoveries applied to the negative allowance for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Core Insolvency Total
Core Insolvency Total
(a) Recoveries includes cash collections, buybacks and other cash-based adjustments.
(3) Changes in expected recoveries
Changes in expected recoveries for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Core Insolvency Total
Core Insolvency Total
In order to estimate future cash collections, the Company considered historical performance, current economic forecasts, short-term and long-term growth and consumer habits in the various geographies in which the Company operates. The Company considered recent collection activity in its determination to adjust assumptions related to ERC for certain pools. Based on these considerations, the Company’s estimates incorporate changes in both amounts and in the timing of expected cash collections over the forecast period.
For the year ended December 31, 2022, Changes in expected recoveries were a net positive $168.9 million. The changes were the net result of recoveries received in excess of forecast of $106.7 million reflecting cash collections overperformance during the year and a $62.2 million net positive adjustment to changes in expected future recoveries. The changes in expected
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future recoveries reflects the Company's assessment of certain pools, where continued strong performance has resulted in a net increase to the Company's forecasted ERC.
For the year ended December 31, 2021, Changes in expected recoveries were a net positive $197.9 million. The changes were the net result of recoveries received in excess of forecast of $250.2 million from significant cash collections overperformance during 2021 reduced by a $52.2 million net negative adjustment to changes in expected future recoveries. The changes in expected future recoveries included the Company's assumption that the majority of the overperformance was due to acceleration of future collections. The Company also increased near-term expected collections in certain geographies to reflect performance trends in collections, and made corresponding reductions later in the forecast period.
3. Investments:
Investments consisted of the following at December 31, 2022 and 2021 (amounts in thousands):
Debt securities
Equity securities
Exchange traded funds — 1,746
Mutual funds — 508
Debt Securities
Available-for-Sale
Government securities: The Company's investments in government instruments, including bonds and treasury securities, are classified as available-for-sale and are stated at fair value. As of December 31, 2022, maturities for these securities are $62.5 million due within one year and $4.3 million due within one to five years.
The amortized cost and estimated fair value of investments in debt securities at December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Available-for-sale
Available-for-sale
Equity Securities
Exchange traded funds: The Company invested in treasury bill exchange traded funds, which were accounted for as equity securities and carried at fair value. Gains and losses from these investments are included within Other income and (expense) in the Company's Consolidated Income Statements. The Company sold the majority of its investment in these funds in the third quarter of 2021 and its remaining investment in the third quarter of 2022.
Private equity funds: Investments in private equity funds represent limited partnerships in which the Company has less than a 1% interest.
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Mutual funds: Mutual funds represented funds held in Brazil in a Brazilian real denominated mutual fund benchmarked to the U.S. dollar that invests primarily in Brazilian fixed income securities. The investments were carried at fair value based on quoted market prices. Gains and losses from these investments are included as a foreign exchange component of Other income and (expense) in the Company's Consolidated Income Statements. The Company sold its investment in these funds in the fourth quarter of 2022.
Equity Method Investments
The Company has an 11.7% interest in RCB Investimentos S.A. ("RCB"), a servicing platform for nonperforming loans in Brazil. This investment is accounted for on the equity method because the Company exercises significant influence over RCB’s operating and financial activities. Accordingly, the Company’s investment in RCB is adjusted for the Company’s proportionate share of RCB’s earnings or losses, capital contributions made and distributions received.
4. Leases:
The Company leases office space and equipment under operating leases. The components of lease expense for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Supplemental cash flow information and non-cash activity related to leases for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
ROU assets obtained in exchange for operating lease obligations $ 8,882 $ 13,525
Lease term and discount rate information related to operating leases were as follows:
Weighted-average remaining lease terms (years) 8.0 8.6
Weighted-average discount rate 4.5 % 4.5 %
Maturities of lease liabilities at December 31, 2022, are as follows for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
Operating Leases
Total lease payments 71,128
Less: imputed interest 11,744
Total present value of lease liabilities $ 59,384
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5. Goodwill:
The Company performs an annual review of goodwill as of October 1 of each year or more frequently if indicators of impairment exist. The Company performed an annual review of goodwill as of October 1, 2022 and concluded that no goodwill impairment was necessary.
The changes in goodwill for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Change in foreign currency translation adjustment (44,342) (12,726)
6. Borrowings:
The Company's borrowings consisted of the following as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 (amounts in thousands):
Less: Debt discount and issuance costs (10,393) (14,092)
(1) Includes the North American revolving credit facility and an unsecured credit agreement with Banco de Occidente (the "Colombian revolving credit facility"). As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the outstanding balance under the Colombian revolving credit facility was approximately $0.5 million and $0.9 million, respectively.
The following principal payments are due on the Company's borrowings at December 31, 2022 for the years ending December 31, (amounts in thousands):
The Company determined that it was in compliance with the covenants of its financing arrangements as of December 31, 2022.
North American Revolving Credit and Term Loan
The Company has a 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 (the "North American Credit Agreement"). The total credit facility under the North American Credit Agreement includes an aggregate principal amount of $1.5 billion (subject to compliance with a borrowing base and applicable debt covenants), which consists of (i) a fully-funded $450.0 million term loan, (ii) a $1.0 billion domestic revolving credit facility and (iii) a $75.0 million Canadian revolving credit facility. The facility includes an accordion feature for up to $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 sub-limit that would reduce amounts available for borrowing. The term and revolving loans accrue interest, at
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the option of the Company, at either the base rate, Canadian Dollar Offered Rate, or the Eurodollar rate for the applicable term plus 2.25% per annum, or 2.00% if the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio is less than or equal to 1.60 to 1.0. The revolving loans within the credit facilities are subject to a 0% floor. The revolving credit facilities also bear an unused line fee of 0.35% per annum, or 0.30% if the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio is less than or equal to 1.60 to 1.0, payable quarterly in arrears. The North American Credit Agreement matures on July 30, 2026. As of December 31, 2022, the unused portion of the North American Credit Agreement was $888.6 million. Considering borrowing base calculations as of December 31, 2022, the amount available to be drawn was $190.9 million.
Borrowings under the North American Credit Agreement are guaranteed by the Company's U.S. and Canadian subsidiaries (provided that the Canadian subsidiary only guarantees borrowings under the Canadian revolving credit facility) and are secured by a first priority lien on substantially all of the Company's North American assets. The North American Credit Agreement contains event of default and restrictive covenants, including the following:
•the ERC borrowing base is 35% for all eligible Core asset pools and 55% for all Insolvency eligible asset pools;
•the Company's consolidated total leverage ratio not to exceed 3.50 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
•the Company's 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; and
•the Company must maintain positive consolidated income from operations during any fiscal quarter.
The outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the credit facility as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
UK Revolving Credit Facility
On April 1, 2022, PRA Group Europe Holding I S.a r.l ("PRA Group Europe"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into a credit agreement (the "UK Credit Agreement") with PRA Group UK Limited ("PRA UK") and the Company, as guarantors, the lenders party thereto and MUFG Bank, Ltd., London Branch, as the administrative agent (the "Administrative Agent").
The UK Credit Agreement consists of an $800.0 million revolving credit facility (subject to a borrowing base), and an accordion feature for up to $200.0 million in additional commitments, subject to certain conditions. Borrowings, which are available in U.S. dollars, euro and pounds sterling, will accrue interest, for the applicable term at the risk free rate applicable to U.S. dollars (Secured Overnight Financing Rate) or sterling (SONIA) or, in the case of euro borrowings, Euribor plus an applicable margin of 2.50% per annum plus a credit adjustment spread of 0.10%. If the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio is greater than 1.60 to 1.0, the applicable margin will increase to 2.75%. The UK Credit Agreement also has a commitment fee of 0.30% per annum, payable quarterly in arrears. If the consolidated senior secured leverage ratio is greater than 1.60 to 1.0, the commitment fee increases to 0.35% per annum. The UK Credit Agreement matures on July 30, 2026. As of December 31, 2022, the unused portion of the UK Credit Agreement was $346.5 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions, as of December 31, 2022, the amount available to be drawn under the UK Credit Agreement was $105.4 million.
The UK Credit Agreement is secured by substantially all of the assets of PRA UK, all of the equity interests in PRA UK and PRA Group Europe, certain bank accounts of PRA Group Europe and certain intercompany loans extended by PRA Group Europe to PRA UK. The UK Credit Agreement contains events of default and restrictive covenants, including the following:
•the borrowing base equals the sum of up to: (i) 35% of the ERC of PRA UK’s eligible asset pools; plus (ii) 55% of PRA UK’s Insolvency eligible asset pools; minus (iii) certain reserves to be established by the Administrative Agent;
•the Company's consolidated leverage ratio not to exceed 3.50 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
•the Company's consolidated senior secured leverage ratio cannot exceed 2.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter; and
•the Company must maintain positive consolidated income from operations during any fiscal quarter.
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The outstanding balance and weighted average interest rate by type of borrowing under the UK Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022 were as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
Amount Outstanding Weighted Average Interest Rate
European Revolving Credit Facility
On November 23, 2022, the Company's wholly-owned subsidiary, PRA Group Europe Holding S.a r.l. ("PRA Group Europe Holding"), and its Swiss Branch, PRA Group Europe Holding S.à r.l. ("PRA Group Holding"), Luxembourg, Zug Branch (together, the "Borrowers"), along with certain of its affiliates and the Company, as guarantors, replaced the prior $750.0 million multicurrency revolving credit agreement (the "Prior Facility Agreement") with a €730.0 million revolving credit facility (the "European Credit Agreement") with the lenders party thereto and DNB Bank ASA as facility agent and security agent (the "Agent").
The European Credit Agreement provides borrowings for an aggregate amount of approximately €730.0 million (subject to the borrowing base) and an uncommitted accordion feature for up to €500.0 million, subject to certain conditions. Borrowings, which will be available in euro, Norwegian krone, Danish krone, Swedish krona, and Polish zloty, accrues interest at the Interbank Offered Rate plus 2.80% - 3.80% (as determined by the estimated remaining collections ratio ("ERC Ratio") as defined in the European Credit Agreement), bears an unused line fee, currently 1.085% per annum, or 35% of the margin, is subject to a 0% floor, is payable monthly in arrears and matures November 23, 2027. Additionally, the Company has a separate agreement with the Agent, for 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 November 23, 2027. As of December 31, 2022, the unused portion of the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $401.1 million. Considering borrowing base restrictions and other covenants as of December 31, 2022, the amount available to be drawn under the European Credit Agreement (including the overdraft facility) was $168.5 million.
The European Credit Agreement is secured by a first perfected security interest in all of the equity interests in certain operating subsidiaries of the Borrowers, certain intercompany loans and certain shareholder loans extended by the Company to the Borrowers. Further, the Company guarantees all obligations and liabilities under the European Credit Facility. The European Credit Agreement contains event of default and restrictive covenants including the following:
•the ERC Ratio cannot exceed 45%;
•the Company's consolidated total leverage ratio not to exceed 3.50 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
•the Company's consolidated senior secured leverage ratio not to exceed 2.25 to 1.0 as of the end of any fiscal quarter;
•the Company must maintain positive consolidated income from operations at 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 a quarterly basis.
The outstanding balances and weighted average interest rates by type of borrowing under the European Credit Agreement and the Prior Facility Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, were as follows (dollar amounts in thousands):
Senior Notes due 2029
On September 22, 2021, the Company completed the private offering of $350.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 5.00% Senior Notes due October 1, 2029 (the "2029 Notes"). The 2029 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture dated September 22, 2021 (the "2021 Indenture"), between the Company and Regions Bank, as trustee. The 2021 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2029 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2029 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of the Company's existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries that guarantee the North American Credit
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Agreement, subject to certain exceptions. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on October 1 and April 1 of each year.
On or after October 1, 2024, the Notes may be redeemed, at the Company's option in whole or in part at a price equal to 102.50% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2029 Notes being redeemed. The applicable redemption price changes if redeemed during the 12-months beginning October 1 of each year to 101.25% for 2025 and then 100% for 2026 and thereafter.
In addition, on or before October 1, 2024, the Company may redeem up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2029 Notes at a redemption price of 105.00% plus accrued and unpaid interest, subject to the rights of holders of the 2029 Notes, with the net cash proceeds of a public offering of common stock of the Company, provided, that at least 60% in aggregate principal amount of the 2029 Notes remains outstanding immediately after the occurrence of such redemption and that such redemption will occur within 90 days of the date of the closing of such public offering.
In the event of a change of control, each holder will have the right to require the Company to repurchase all or any part of such holder's 2029 Notes at an offer price equal to 101% of the aggregate principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. If the Company sells assets under certain circumstances and does not use the proceeds for specified purposes, the Company will be required to make an offer to repurchase the 2029 Notes at 100% of their principal amount.
Senior Notes due 2025
On August 27, 2020, the Company completed the private offering of $300.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 7.375% Senior Notes due September 1, 2025 (the "2025 Notes" and together with the 2029 Notes, the "Senior Notes"). The 2025 Notes were issued pursuant to an Indenture dated August 27, 2020 (the "2020 Indenture"), between the Company and Regions Bank, as a trustee. The 2020 Indenture contains customary terms and covenants, including certain events of default after which the 2025 Notes may be due and payable immediately. The 2025 Notes are senior unsecured obligations of the Company and are guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by all of the Company's existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries that guarantee the North American Credit Agreement, subject to certain exceptions. Interest on the 2025 Notes is payable semi-annually, in arrears, on September 1 and March 1 of each year.
The 2025 Notes may be redeemed, in whole or in part, at a price equal to 103.688% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2025 Notes being redeemed. The applicable redemption price changes if redeemed during the 12-months beginning September 1 of each year to 101.844% for 2023 and then 100% for 2024 and thereafter.
In the event of a change of control, the Company must offer to repurchase all of the 2025 Notes (unless otherwise redeemed) at a price equal to 101% of their aggregate principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest. If the Company sells assets under certain circumstances and does not use the proceeds for specified purposes, the Company will be required to make an offer to repurchase the 2025 Notes at 100% of their principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest.
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 June 1, 2023. 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.
The holders of the 2023 Notes have the right to convert all, or a portion of, the 2023 Notes upon occurrence of specific events prior to the close of business on the business day immediately preceding March 1, 2023, including:
•if during any calendar quarter, the last reported sales price of the Company's common stock is greater than 130% of the conversion price for at least 20 trading days during the period of 30 consecutive trading days;
•if the trading price of the 2023 Notes is less than 98% of the product of the last reported sales price of the Company's common stock and the conversion rate for a 10 consecutive trading day period;
•the Company elects to issue to all, or substantially all, holders of its common stock any rights, options or warrants entitling them, for a period of more than 45 calendar days, to subscribe for or purchase shares at a price per share that is less than the average of the last reported sales price for the 10 consecutive trading day-period ending on the trading day immediately preceding the date of announcement of such issuance;
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•the Company elects to distribute to all, or substantially all, holders of its common stock the Company’s assets, debt securities or rights to purchase securities of the Company, which distribution has a share value exceeding 10% of the last reported sale price on the trading day preceding the announcement of such distribution; or
•a transaction occurs that constitutes a fundamental change (as defined in the 2017 Indenture) or, the Company is party to a consolidation, merger, binding share exchange, or transfer or lease of all, or substantially all, of the Company’s assets.
On or after March 1, 2023, the 2023 Notes will be convertible at any time. As of December 31, 2022, the Company does not believe that any of the conditions allowing holders of the 2023 Notes to convert their notes has occurred.
Furthermore, the Company has the right, at its election, to redeem all or any part of the outstanding 2023 Notes at any time for cash, but only if the last reported sale price (as defined in the 2017 Indenture) of the Company's common stock 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.
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 has made an irrevocable election to settle conversions by paying holders of the 2023 Notes cash up to the aggregate principal amount of the 2023 Notes 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 remaining amounts owed, if any.
In accordance with authoritative guidance related to derivatives and hedging and EPS, 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 market conversion criteria is met.
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 issuance cost as debt issuance cost and the remaining $1.3 million as an equity issuance cost.
The balances of the liability component of the Company's Convertible Notes outstanding as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were as follows (amounts in thousands):
Unamortized debt issuance costs (748) (2,476)