Russ Mould is AJ Bell's Investment Director. He has a Master's degree in Modern History from the University of Oxford and more than 30 years' experience of the capital markets.
He started out at Scottish Equitable in 1991 as a fund manager, where he had responsibility for the Nordic and Swiss equity markets. In 1993, Russ joined SG Warburg, now part of UBS investment bank, and worked there as an equity analyst covering the technology sectors for 12 years. He has also worked on IPOs and M&A deals. Russ was voted best analyst in the semiconductor sector in 2001 by Institutional Investor and reached the level of Managing Director in 2003 when he became head of UBS' global semiconductor research effort.
A member of the Chartered Institute for Securities and Investment (MSCI), Russ is responsible for providing written and video content for customers and clients. He also helps to build the company’s profile in print and broadcast media as part of AJ Bell's wider PR and brand team, working alongside the Investment Committee.
Russ joined Shares Magazine as technology correspondent in 2005 and took on the post of Editor in 2008. He was appointed as AJ Bell's Investment Director in 2013 following the company's acquisition of Shares' parent company, MSM Media. Russ regularly creates content across the AJ Bell website, including the Daily Market Update and Chart of the Week, and he hosts his own 'Breaking the Mould' weekly video series.
Outside of work, Russ is a qualified cricket coach, Italian speaker and avid fan of Doctor Who and NFL.
31 July 2025
Daily market update: Shell, Unilever, Next, Rolls-Royce“Stellar results from Microsoft and Meta have fired up investors, quickly shifting the focus from US interest rates potentially staying higher for longer, to an environment where big tech is ruling the roost again,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“The probability of a US rate cut in September has fallen since the Fed’s rate...
30 July 2025
Daily market update: HSBC, Taylor Wimpey, BAE Systems“Investors got out of the wrong side of the bed, judging by the negative reaction to the latest round of corporate earnings,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“While certain stocks fell for good reason such as HSBC and Taylor Wimpey amid negative news, there were plenty of other big stocks like BAE Systems and GSK who couldn’t get a...
29 July 2025
Daily market update: Greggs, Barclays, AstraZeneca, WH Smith, Card Factory“The FTSE 100 enjoyed another good start, lifted by positive market reaction to AstraZeneca’s numbers and Games Workshop delivering yet another strong set of results,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“It’s a busy week for corporate earnings in the UK and US, and investors have plenty of news to digest. The latest set of UK results...
28 July 2025
Daily market update: European markets rally, AstraZeneca, GSK, STV“The much-awaited trade agreement between the US and the EU has finally been struck, sending a wave of relief across financial markets,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“As widely expected, the agreed tariffs aren’t as high as previously feared, which means investors are taking the trade agreement as a massive win.
“In reality...
25 July 2025
Daily market update: NatWest, Puma, Rightmove, Marshalls“The FTSE 100 lost some ground as investors took stock after another breathless week for the markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“There was positive economic news from the UK as retail sales bounced back in June helped by warm weather – although beyond the headline there were several signs that consumer confidence remains fragile...
24 July 2025
Daily market update: Alphabet, Tesla, Reckitt, Lloyds, ITV“European shares marched higher on Thursday as the positive sentiment generated by the trade deal agreed between the US and Japan continued to permeate the markets,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The continued momentum came despite a mixed start to the big tech earnings season across the Atlantic as Alphabet and Tesla posted their...
23 July 2025
Daily market update: FTSE 100, Wetherspoon, Fresnillo“News of a trade agreement between the US and Japan is fostering optimism among investors that further deals might be reached before punishing tariffs come into force,” says AJ Bell Investment Director Russ Mould.
“The news helped drive the FTSE 100 to a new record high and saw gains in other markets across mainland Europe – with focus likely to...
22 July 2025
Daily market update: Admiral, AstraZeneca, Centrica“Higher than expected government borrowing pushed up UK gilt yields and pulled down the UK stock market,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“10-year gilt yields briefly nudged up to 4.645%, which is the market’s way of saying it isn’t impressed with the state of public finances. Soaring debt interest payments haven’t helped and the...
21 July 2025
Daily market update: Japanese equities, BP, Ryanair, water utilities“Markets were muted at the start of the new trading week as investors awaited updates on US trade negotiations,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“There is now less than a fortnight before the 1 August deadline for the new tariff regime to kick in, and we still don’t have framework deals between the US and many regions including the...
9 July 2025
FTSE 100 dividend growth grinds to a halt, but buyback bonanza continuesWhile dividend growth has slowed in the FTSE 100, the index has far outpaced the US’s S&P 500 in 2025, and the pound continues to outdo the dollar.
The FTSE 100 has provided a 9.6% total return so far this year, compared to just 2.1% from the S&P 500, as the US has started to lag on the global stage.
Whether this trend continues or not remains to...
