Investment bank flips advisory as it turns attention to healthcare research. Less than two years after acquiring it, San Francisco-based investment bank MCF Corporation has sold Catalyst Financial Planning & Investment Management back to its management team led by firm founder Madelyn Mallory.

MCF received approximately $280,000 and 79,314 shares of its own common stock for letting Catalyst go.

On second thought

MCF created a wealth-management unit in 2005 to house Catalyst, a registered investment advisory, and Merriman Curhan Ford, its brokerage division and investment-banking division. Late that year it hired former Advisor Software sales head William Banks to run the the new wealth division.

Now though, MCF has tapped Banks to take "a leadership role" in Panel Intelligence, a newly formed research subsidiary, as soon as MCF's acquisition of MedPanel is completed. Panel Intelligence will provide due diligence on private investments in the healthcare industry.

Oakland, Calif.-based Catalyst manages about $101 million, according to its latest filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. -FWR

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