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  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=5><P ALIGN="CENTER">UNITED STATES<BR>
  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION<BR>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=4>Washington, DC 20549</P>
  </B></FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</P>
  </FONT><B><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=5><P ALIGN="CENTER">FORM 8-K</P>
  </B></FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  <B><P ALIGN="CENTER">CURRENT REPORT<BR>
  Pursuant To Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934</P>
  </B><P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER">Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):  <B>May 9, 2006</P>
  </B><P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  </FONT><B><U><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=5><P ALIGN="CENTER">STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.<BR>
  </B></U></FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=2>(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)</P>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</P></FONT>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER"><CENTER><TABLE CELLSPACING=0 BORDER=0 CELLPADDING=7 WIDTH=638>
  <TR><TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">
  <B><U><P ALIGN="CENTER">Delaware<BR>
  </B></U><FONT SIZE=3>(State of incorporation)</P>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER"></FONT></TD>
  <TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">
  <B><U><P ALIGN="CENTER">1-9305<BR>
  </B></U><FONT SIZE=3>(Commission File Number)</P>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER"></FONT></TD>
  <TD WIDTH="33%" VALIGN="TOP">
  <B><U><P ALIGN="CENTER">43-1273600<BR>
  </B></U><FONT SIZE=3>(IRS Employer<BR>
  Identification No.)</P>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER"></FONT></TD>
  </TR>
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  <FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia"><P ALIGN="CENTER">&nbsp;</P>
  <B><P ALIGN="CENTER">One Financial Plaza<BR>
  501 North Broadway</B><BR>
  <B><U>St. Louis, Missouri 63102-2102<BR>
  </B></U>(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)</P>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER"></P>
  </FONT><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">Registrant's telephone number, including area code </FONT><B><U><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia">(314) 342-2000</P>
  </B></U>
  </FONT><P>&nbsp;</P>
  <U><FONT FACE="Bookman Old Style,Georgia" SIZE=2><P ALIGN="CENTER">___________________________N/A___________________________</U><BR>
  (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)</P>
  
  </FONT><FONT FACE="TimesNewRoman,Times New Roman" SIZE=2><P>Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):</P>
  <P>[ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)</P>
  <P>[ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)</P>
  <P>[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))</P>
  <P>[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))</P>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER" ><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR ="#708090"><I> Page 1 </I></FONT><BR>
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  <DIR>
  
  </FONT><B><FONT SIZE=4><P>Item 5.02 Departure of Director or Principal Officer; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officer.</P>
  </B></FONT><P>&nbsp;</P>
  <DIR>
  
  <P STYLE="margin-left:1.00em; text-indent:-1.00em"> (b)  Effective at the Stifel Financial Corp. annual meeting of shareholders held on May 9, 2006, Walter F. Imhoff has retired from the Stifel Financial Corp. board of directors. Mr. Imhoff did not stand for re-election due to the company's mandatory retirement age for the board of directors. Mr. Imhoff has served as a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. and Senior Vice President of Stifel, Nicolaus &amp; Company, Incorporated, Stifel Financial Corp.'s principal subsidiary, since 2000. Mr. Imhoff will continue as Senior Vice President of Stifel, Nicolaus &amp; Company, Incorporated.</P>
  <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"></P>
  
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  <B><P ALIGN="CENTER">SIGNATURE</P>
  </B><P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"></P>
  <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY">Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.</P>
  <P ALIGN="JUSTIFY"></P><DIR>
  
  
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  <P>STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.</P>
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  <P>Date:  May 15, 2006</TD>
  <TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">
  <P>By:  &#9;<U>  /s/  James M. Zemlyak&#9;</U></TD>
  </TR>
  <TR><TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">&nbsp;</TD>
  <TD WIDTH="50%" VALIGN="TOP">
  <P>Name:&#9;James M. Zemlyak<BR>Title:&#9;Chief Financial Officer</TD>
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  </TABLE>
  <P ALIGN="CENTER" ><FONT SIZE=2 COLOR ="#708090"><I> Page 3 </I></FONT><BR>
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metadata_documents: [{"type": "8-K", "sequence": "1", "filename": "r8k_2006retire.htm", "description": "FORM 8-K", "secsgml_size_bytes": 5631}]
metadata_filer: {"company-data": {"conformed-name": "STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP", "cik": "0000720672", "assigned-sic": "6211", "irs-number": "431273600", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "8-K", "act": "34", "file-number": "001-09305", "film-number": "06846406"}, "business-address": {"street1": "ATTN: JAMES G. LASCHOBER", "street2": "501 N. BROADWAY", "city": "ST. LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63102-2102", "phone": "314-342-2000"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "ATTN: JAMES G. LASCHOBER", "street2": "501 N. BROADWAY", "city": "ST. LOUIS", "state": "MO", "zip": "63102-2102"}}
text: SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  UNITED STATES
  SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
  Washington, DC 20549
  FORM 8-K
  CURRENT REPORT
  Pursuant To Section 13 OR 15(d) of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported):
  May 9, 2006
  STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.
  (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
  Delaware
  (State of incorporation)
  1-9305
  (Commission File Number)
  43-1273600
  (IRS Employer
  Identification No.)
  One Financial Plaza
  501 North Broadway
  St. Louis, Missouri 63102-2102
  (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)
  Registrant's telephone number, including area code
  (314) 342-2000
  ___________________________N/A___________________________
  (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)
  Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions (see General Instruction A.2. below):
  [ ] Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)
  [ ] Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)
  [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))
  [ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
  Page 1
  Item 5.02 Departure of Director or Principal Officer; Election of Directors; Appointment of Principal Officer.
  (b)  Effective at the Stifel Financial Corp. annual meeting of shareholders held on May 9, 2006, Walter F. Imhoff has retired from the Stifel Financial Corp. board of directors. Mr. Imhoff did not stand for re-election due to the company's mandatory retirement age for the board of directors. Mr. Imhoff has served as a Director of Stifel Financial Corp. and Senior Vice President of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated, Stifel Financial Corp.'s principal subsidiary, since 2000. Mr. Imhoff will continue as Senior Vice President of Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated.
  Page 2
  SIGNATURE
  Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
  STIFEL FINANCIAL CORP.
  Date:  May 15, 2006
  By:
  /s/  James M. Zemlyak
  Name:	James M. Zemlyak
  Title:	Chief Financial Officer
  Page 3