Encore Capital Group, Inc. Announces the Closing of the Public Offering of Common Stock by Selling Stockholders

SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2011 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --

Encore Capital Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ECPG) today announced the closing of the previously announced underwritten public offering of 2,454,734 shares of its common stock by JCF FPK I LP, Red Mountain Capital Partners II, L.P. and Red Mountain Capital Partners III, L.P., at a price to the public of $26.00 per share. The Company did not receive any proceeds from the sale of the shares by the selling stockholders.

Immediately after the closing, the selling stockholders owned, in the aggregate, 6,739,186 shares of common stock, or approximately 28% of the Company's outstanding shares. The selling stockholders' representatives intend to continue to serve on the board of directors of the Company.

Red Mountain Capital Partners and JCF FPK have been stockholders of the Company since April 2006 and April 2007, respectively.

The shares were sold pursuant to a prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus as part of an effective shelf registration statement filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Copies of the registration statement can be accessed through the SEC's website at www.sec.gov . A copy of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus for this offering may be obtained from the offices of JMP Securities LLC, 600 Montgomery Street, 10th Floor, San Francisco, California 94111, Attention: Prospectus Department, (415) 835-3914. Any offer or sale will be made only by means of the prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus.

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

About Encore Capital Group, Inc.

Encore Capital Group is a leader in consumer debt buying and recovery. We purchase portfolios of defaulted consumer receivables from major banks, credit unions, and utility providers and partner with individuals as they repay their obligations and work toward financial recovery.

Headquartered in San Diego, we are a publicly traded NASDAQ Global Select company (ticker symbol: ECPG) and component stocks of both the Russell 2000 and Wilshire 4500. More information about the Company can be found at www.encorecapital.com. The Company's website, and the information contained therein, is not incorporated into and is not a part of this press release.

Forward Looking Statements

The statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including, most importantly, those statements preceded by, or that include, the words "may," "believe," "projects," "expects," "anticipates" or the negation thereof, or similar expressions, constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Reform Act"). These statements may include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the completion, timing and size of the public offering. For all "forward-looking statements," the Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Reform Act. Such forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of the Company and its subsidiaries to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in the reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K, each as it may be amended from time to time. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Encore Capital Group, Inc.