Merriman Capital Announces Sponsorship of Wilhelmina International, Inc. on OTCQX

SAN FRANCISCO, Jan. 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Merriman Capital, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Merriman Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: MERR), today announced that it will serve as the Designated Advisor for Disclosure (DAD) for Wilhelmina International (OTCQX: WHLM) as it lists on OTCQX®.

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Wilhelmina International provides fashion model and talent management services in the United States.  The Company announced today that it is now trading on the OTC market's highest tier, OTCQX®.

OTCQX distinguishes the best companies traded OTC from more than 9,000 securities traded on the OTCBB and Pink Sheets® that are not required to meet any financial standards or undergo a qualitative review.  

Spencer Grimes, Merriman Capital Managing Director, said: "We are very pleased to uplist Wilhelmina International from the Bulletin Board to the OTCQX.  This move provides Wilhelmina greater transparency and improved liquidity, which underscores the Company's commitment to its investors."

"Wilhelmina's upgrade in its primary listing to the quality controlled QX marketplace will provide our investors with improved liquidity, transparency and superior information," says Mark E. Schwarz, Chairman and CEO of Wilhelmina.  "We have a long-time knowledge of Merriman's successful track record and their capabilities in investment banking, equity research and sales and trading.  We believe Merriman is an ideal fit for Wilhelmina as we take steps to raise the Company's awareness in the investor community."

About Merriman Holdings, Inc.

Merriman Holdings, Inc. (Nasdaq: MERR) is a financial services firm focused on fast-growing companies and the institutions that invest in them. The company offers high-quality investment banking, equity research, institutional services and corporate & venture services, and specializes in three growth industry sectors: CleanTech, Consumer, Media & Internet and Technology. For more information, please go to http://www.merrimanco.com/.

About Wilhelmina International, Inc.

Wilhelmina International, Inc. (OTCQX:WHLM) through its subsidiaries, provides fashion model and talent management services in the United States. The Company specializes in the representation and management of models, entertainers, artists, athletes, and other talent to various customers and clients, including retailers, designers, advertising agencies, and catalog companies. It also engages fashion modeling and talent product-endorsement services to clients, such as ad agencies, branded consumer goods companies, fashion designers, magazines, retailers and department stores, product catalogs, and Internet sites; licensing of the Wilhelmina brand name; and engages in television syndication royalties and production series contracts. The company was founded in 1967 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

About OTCQX

The OTCQX marketplace is the premier tier of the U.S. OTC market.  Investor-focused companies use the quality-controlled OTCQX platform to offer investors transparent trading, superior information, and easy access through their regulated U.S. broker-dealers. The innovative OTCQX platform offers companies and their shareholders a level of marketplace services formerly available only on a U.S. stock exchange.  For more information and to view a full list of OTCQX companies, visit www.otcqx.com.

Note to Investors

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, forecasts and assumptions that involve risks and uncertainties. This release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of offers to buy any securities of the Company. Forward-looking statements in this release are based on information available to us as of the date hereof. Our actual results may differ materially from those stated or implied in such forward-looking statements, due to risks and uncertainties associated with our business, which include the risk factors disclosed in our Form 10-K/A filed on April 30, 2010. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding our expectations, beliefs, intentions or strategies regarding the future and can be identified by forward-looking words such as "anticipate," "believe," "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "may," "should," and "would" or similar words. We assume no obligation to update the information included in this press release, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The Form 10-K/A filed on April 30, 2010 and the Form 10-Q filed on November 15, 2010, together with this press release and the financial information contained herein, are available on our website, www.mcfco.com. Please click on "Investor Relations."

SOURCE Merriman Holdings, Inc.