PRA Selected to Barron's 400 Index NORFOLK, Va., O

NORFOLK, Va., Oct. 11, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: PRAA ), a financial and business services company operating in the U.S. and U.K, has been selected to the Barron's 400 Index for the second consecutive year.

Stocks from the 400 companies selected for the Index are "the most fundamentally sound and attractively-priced," as measured by an overall grade from MarketGrader in a partnership with Barron's , the nation's leading financial magazine.

For 2013, PRA's overall grade of 78.0 – on a scale of zero to 100 – ranked PRA sixth among 72 companies in the Industrials sector, and second among the sector's Miscellaneous Commercial Services companies. MarketGrader analyzes the fundamentals of each company comprising the Barron's 400, grading each company's cash flow, profitability, growth, and value to stockholders.

The Barron's 400 Index is reconstituted and rebalanced every March and September, and is up more than 200% against other leading indicators since its inception in 2007.

About PRA

As a leader in the U.S. debt buying industry, Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. (PRA) returns capital to banks and other creditors that helps expand financial services for consumers. PRA collaborates with its customers to create affordable, realistic debt repayment plans. The company also provides a broad range of fee-based services to local governments and law enforcement, U.S. businesses, institutional investors, global hedge funds, and U.K. banks and creditors.

PRA was recognized as one of Fortune's 100 Fastest-Growing Companies in 2013 and 2012. The company also has been named to the Top 25 of Forbes' 100 Best Small Companies in America for the past two years and has been annually ranked on Forbes' list since 2007.  For more information, please visit www.PortfolioRecovery.com .

Media and Investor Contact: Rick Goulart Vice President, Corporate Communications Portfolio Recovery Associates, Inc. 757-351-3525