Pink OTC Markets Inc. is expected to drop the "Pink," becoming OTC Markets Group Inc. by early next year - and prompting CEO Cromwell Coulson to say the New York office won't look like 'Barbie's playhouse' anymore.  The change, subject to shareholder vote, comes as the company strives to show it's evolved from its reputation of a stomping ground for murky enterprises to a broader firm where respectable companies want their shares to trade.

All told, the firm now quotes nearly 10,000 stocks - 3,000 of which also are quoted on the OTCBB.  It's broken its listings into tiers, ranking companies by how forthright they are in divulging information and affixing graphics, such as a skull-and-crossbones, for issuers that it believes merit more caution.  Unlike the Bulletin Board, a quote-listing service, Pink for several years has allowed electronic trading, after investing in technology upgrades.

FINRA had owned Pink's competitor, the OTC Bulletin Board, before agreeing in September to sell its website and trademark to Rodman & Renshaw Capital Group.  That firm, which has an investment bank, said it plans to use the OTCBB to diversify its product base.

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