CFA a smart move to move to Buy-Side

I'm currently a sales trader on a FI desk. I've been looking at moving to the buy side (and maybe try to eventually work my way up to being a PM). Outside of the educational aspect of the exams, which is valuable, would sitting for the CFA help me make the transition over to the buy side, preferably at a hedge fund? Or has the credential lost some of its value in recent years? An MBA would be far too expensive for me to make any lateral move, but I do have a legitimate shot at being accepted to Rice if I realistically did go that route.

Just trying to really make sure I get as much info as I can before making any real decisions.