Imagine Jean, a 51-year-old woman from Florida, who cares for her elderly mother. Must Read While the two are close, Jean has just discovered her 85-year-old mother, Marie, has stopped paying her credit cards over the past year, following a terminal diagnosis. She has spent much of her life living frugally and has now expressed some regrets about not enjoying life more in her younger years. Marie is now $25,000 in debt and the companies are beginning to call and send letters. Jean wonders if they can put ...

Core Insights - Encore Capital Group reported strong financial performance for Q1 2025, with significant increases in portfolio purchases and collections compared to the previous year [2][4] - The company anticipates exceeding $1.35 billion in global portfolio purchases for 2025 and expects collections to grow by 11% year-over-year to $2.4 billion [2][4] Financial Performance - Portfolio purchases in Q1 2025 reached $368 million, a 24% increase from $295.7 million in Q1 2024 [4] - Collections for the quarter totaled $605 million, up 18% from $510.9 million in the same period last year [4] - Earnings per share (EPS) for Q1 2025 were $1.93, reflecting a 103% increase from $0.95 in Q1 2024 [4][7] Business Segments - The U.S. MCM business achieved record portfolio purchases of $316 million, a 34% increase year-over-year, and collections of $454 million, up 23% [2][4] - The Cabot business in Europe reported portfolio purchases of $51 million and collections of $150 million, a 7% increase compared to the previous year [2][4] Operational Metrics - Average receivable portfolios increased by 10% to $3.86 billion from $3.50 billion year-over-year [4] - Estimated Remaining Collections (ERC) rose by 7% to $8.86 billion compared to $8.31 billion in Q1 2024 [4] Shareholder Actions - The company repurchased $10 million of its common stock during the first quarter [3]