ST. LOUIS, MO--(Marketwire - Nov 28, 2011) - Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: [ SF ]) today announced that Joel Sendek will be joining Stifel Nicolaus as Co-Head of Healthcare Equity Research, with specific coverage of the biotechnology sector.

"We are very pleased that Joel will be joining the Stifel healthcare research team," stated Hugh Warns, Director of Research at Stifel Nicolaus. "Joel is a proven professional who brings a unique combination of leadership, experience and expertise to our industry-leading healthcare research capabilities. Bringing Joel onto the team furthers our unwavering commitment to research."

Mr. Sendek will bring over 20 years of experience, including the past eleven with Lazard Capital Markets, where he established the healthcare equity research effort. He is widely recognized in the investment community and the corporate world for his broad biotechnology expertise and proprietary insight, including a previous #1 ranking for "Stock Picking" in The Wall Street Journal's Best on the Street Survey. Prior to his career in equity research, Mr. Sendek spent five years as a Senior Director in Corporate Development at Progenics Pharmaceuticals and three years as an investment banking analyst at Goldman Sachs. He is a graduate of Rice University, where he received a B.A. in Biochemistry. Mr. Sendek will be based in the firm's New York office and will join Stifel in January 2012.

Company Information
Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: [ SF ]) is a financial services holding company headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri that conducts its banking, securities, and financial services business through several wholly owned subsidiaries. Stifel clients are primarily served in the U.S. through 318 offices in 44 states and the District of Columbia through Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated and Thomas Weisel Partners LLC, and in Canada through Stifel Nicolaus Canada Inc. Clients in the United Kingdom and Europe are served through offices of Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited. Each of the broker-dealer affiliates provides securities brokerage, investment banking, trading, investment advisory, and related financial services to individual investors, professional money managers, businesses, and municipalities. Stifel Bank & Trust offers a full range of consumer and commercial lending solutions. To learn more about Stifel, please visit the company's web site at [ www.stifel.com ].