With the law of supply and demand at work - more buyers chasing fewer deals - debt buyers continue to see portfolio prices remain stubbornly high, regardless of the age of the debt.

Plaza Associates, an employee-owned 50-year old collection agency servicing major blue chip companies, announced Friday it has acquired ACB American Inc., a Covington, Ky. company that specializes in the health care and credit card sectors.

DBA International, the association representing the nation's debt buyers, has issued the following response to Consumers Union and East Bay Community Law Center's report entitled "Past Due: Why Debt Collection Practices and the Debt Buying Industry Need Reform Now."

Capital Management Services Inc., a Buffalo, N.Y. collection agency with more than $68 million in annual revenues, plans to be the sole tenant of a proposed 56,000-square-foot building.

Aggregate accounts receivable management transaction value last year reached $1.1 billion, up 159% from 2009, according to one strategic advisory firm. With definitive signs of slow but sure improvement in the economy and M&A activity in general, a similar level of activity is expected in the next two years.

Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) Inc., a Norfolk, Va.-based publicly owned debt buyer, announced Tuesday that its government subsidiaries - PRA Government Services LLC and MuniServices LLC - will merge and operate under the name PRA Government Services.

The New York City Fire Department, hoping to recover some of the $50 million lost on ambulance fees annually, will enlist the help of a collection agency, the department revealed Thursday.

Credit Adjustments Inc. (CAI), a Defiance, Ohio-based collection agency, has received U.S. Small Business Administration-backed financing from Huntington Bank that will help it expand operations, restructure debt at better terms and react to growth opportunities in higher education, health care and other creditor markets, according to company officials. Details of the financing were not released.

Discover Financial Services has completed its $600 million acquisition of Student Loan Corp., which included $4.2 billion of private student loans and other assets, the Riverwoods, Ill.-based credit card issuer announced this week.

Dear Editor, The Wall Street Journal,

Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc., a Norfolk, Va.-based debt buyer and accounts receivable management company, Monday announced an expansion of its credit facility to $407.5 million from $365 million.

Only two of the 2,150 U.S. credit unions with credit card receivables of $1 million or more sold portfolios during the third quarter ended Sept. 30, as many buyers still remain wary about overall credit union health, according to AssetExchange, a Portland, Ore.-based credit union card broker.

Intrum Justitia, a European credit management services company, has acquired Nice Invest Nordic AB, a Sweden-based debt-buying firm for a total price of approximately $42.5 million. The acquisition includes an existing portfolio and an agreement covering forward-flow debt purchasing contracts.

The Cogsville Group LLC, a private equity firm, and Colony Capital LLC purchased from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) two portfolios of more than 700 commercial real estate loans. The two portfolios have an aggregate unpaid principal balance of approximately $341 million.

Debt buyer Portfolio Recovery Associates' shares reached a 52-week high on Friday, with stock trading as high as $76.80. The stock previously had closed at $74.20. At mid-day on Monday, the stock was trading at $76.17.

Asta Funding Inc., a publicly owned debt buyer, Tuesday reported net income of $3.1 million for the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, compared to a net loss of $90.7 million during fiscal year 2009.

Portfolio Recovery Associates (PRA) Inc., continues a tradition of giving back to communities across the nation by donating more than $400,000 to date in 2010. Since 2004, PRA has given more than $1.2 million to philanthropic endeavors.

TransUnion, a Chicago-based credit reporting agency, has received a business license to establish operation in Vietnam.