Vertical Branding, Inc. Provides Corporate Update


LOS ANGELES, Oct. 13, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vertical Branding, Inc. (Pink Sheets:VBDG) provided a general corporate update today as well as an update to its May 11, 2009, announcement of an exclusive licensing agreement with P2F Holdings and related restructuring of company operations. The company's restructuring efforts have failed to achieve expectations or intended results and the company lacks sufficient cash flow to maintain normal operations and meet its current financial obligations. The company's Board is presently reviewing the company's options for reorganization, recapitalization or other methods of deriving value from the company's assets to satisfy the company's liabilities. Because of its working capital shortage, the company has substantially reduced operating expenses by laying off all but three employees and by suspending various operations.

Vertical Branding's update also included announcement of the resignation of Nancy Duitch as the Company's Chief Executive Officer. Ms. Duitch remains a member of the Board.

The company's update further included summary unaudited financial results for the period ended June 30, 2009.

Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The information in this news release includes forecasts and predictions about future results and events, or "forward-looking statements," often identifiable by use of words like "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "future", "intend", "plan" and similar expressions. Such statements reflect the current view of Vertical Branding with respect to the matters discussed and are subject to and qualified by various risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those forecasted or predicted.



               VERTICAL BRANDING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
           CONSOLIDATED UNAUDITED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
                  (In thousands, except per share data)

                                 For the Three         For the Six
                                  Months Ended         Months Ended
                                    June 30,             June 30,
                               ------------------  ------------------
                                 2009      2008      2009      2008
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Revenues
 Consumer products             $  1,290  $  9,404  $  5,301  $ 17,525
 Real estate activities             178       179       334       326
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
  Total revenues                  1,468     9,583     5,635    17,851
 Cost of sales                    1,304     5,030     3,962     8,440
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
  Gross profit                      164     4,553     1,673     9,411
                               --------  --------  --------  --------

 Operating expenses
  Selling                           308     2,699     1,333     6,624
  General and administrative      1,018     1,699     2,425     3,709
  Depreciation and
   amortization                     173       315       545       634
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
   Total operating expenses       1,499     4,713     4,303    10,967
                               --------  --------  --------  --------

 Loss from operations            (1,335)     (160)   (2,630)   (1,556)

 Other income (expense):
  Loss on sale of business       (1,673)     --      (1,673)     --
  Interest expense, net            (244)     (245)     (506)     (469)
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Loss from operations before
  provision for income taxes
  and noncontrolling interest    (3,252)     (405)   (4,809)   (2,025)
 Provision for income taxes           3         4         4         9
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Loss before noncontrolling
  interest                       (3,255)     (409)   (4,813)   (2,034)
 Net loss attributable to
  noncontrolling interest           (21)      (37)      (62)      (90)
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Net loss                        (3,234)     (372)   (4,751)   (1,944)
 Preferred stock dividends           44        46        88        91
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Net loss applicable to common
  stockholders                 $ (3,278) $   (418) $ (4,839) $ (2,035)
                               ========  ========  ========  ========

 Basic and diluted loss per
  common share                 $  (0.11) $  (0.01) $  (0.16) $  (0.07)
                               ========  ========  ========  ========

 Weighted average shares used
  in computation of basic and
  diluted loss per common
  share                          30,093    29,378    30,102    30,112
                               ========  ========  ========  ========

                 VERTICAL BRANDING, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
              CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED UNAUDITED BALANCE SHEETS
                             (In thousands)

                                                 June 30,   Dec. 31,
                                                   2009       2008
                                                 --------   --------
 Assets
 Current assets:
  Cash and cash equivalents                      $     95   $    221
  Accounts receivable, net                            743      4,141
  Inventories                                         307      1,497
  Other current assets                                250        574
                                                 --------   --------
   Total current assets                             1,395      6,433
 Office building, net                               2,724      2,800
 Intangible assets, net                              --        1,519
 Goodwill                                           1,231      1,842
 Other assets                                         387        738
                                                 --------   --------
   Total assets                                  $  5,737   $ 13,332
                                                 ========   ========

 Liabilities and Shareholders' Deficiency
 Current liabilities:
  Line of credit                                 $    194   $  3,981
  Current portion of long-term debt                 3,160      3,886
  Accounts payable and accrued expenses             3,211      3,956
  Deferred income                                   1,234         --
                                                 --------   --------
   Total current liabilities                        7,799     11,823
  Long-term debt                                    2,764      1,700
                                                 --------   --------
   Total liabilities                               10,563     13,523
 Shareholders' deficiency                          (4,826)      (191)
                                                 --------   --------
   Total liabilities and shareholders' 
    deficiency                                   $  5,737   $ 13,332
                                                 ========   ========

            

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