Asset management audit to research analyst

I'm a first-year associate at a big 4 firm that works on asset management clients. My primary engagement is a large mutual fund complex and I'm also staffed on a handful of P/E jobs. Even though I've only been with the firm a year, after a few audit cycles in AM I've seen the more intricate areas of the audit like valuation, derivatives realized gain / loss testing, etc. My question is, how would this kind of experience translate to a sell-side analyst role at a major financial servces firm? I know I don't want to stay in accounting, but don't know when the best time to make the jump would be. Or if it's even possible. If anyone has any information on the matter, it would certianly be appreciated.