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.
16 January 2026
What do sky-high government debt and records for equities and gold mean for investors?Ask the experts. Russ Mould is on hand to answer your queries about the financial markets. If you'd like a question considered for a future edition, send it in now.
Equities and gold are close to all-time highs, while government debt has also sky rocketed. What does this mean for investors?
Simon
Russ Mould, AJ Bell Investment Director, says:The...
15 January 2026
Daily market update: GDP, Dunelm, TSMC, Taylor Wimpey, AsdaThe UK stock market was flat despite positive GDP news.
The FTSE 100 is not a direct play on the UK economy given the multitude of overseas earners. The flat performance was a result of gains in financials and industrials being offset by weakness in oil producers and miners.
Brent crude fell by 3.2% to $64.40, a substantially larger movement than...
12 January 2026
Daily market update: gold, Barclays, British Land, Heineken, Auction TechnologyMarkets dipped as investors feared about the independence of the Federal Reserve.
US prosecutors launched a criminal investigation into Fed chair Jay Powell over a renovation of the central bank’s headquarters. Powell implied the root of the issue was the Fed’s refusal to cut interest rates as fast as Trump wants, rather than any matters involving...
9 January 2026
Daily market update: mining mega-merger talks, TSMC, Sainsbury’sThe FTSE 100 solidified its position above 10,000 on Friday after a mixed week which has seen the index attain fresh record levels.
The mood music around UK stocks remains positive, even if Christmas updates from the retail sector have not inspired too much cheer – a downbeat update from the British Retail Consortium on footfall only adding to the...
8 January 2026
Daily market update: Trump's defence spending proposal, Tesco, Shell, GreggsWatch the bond market closely as Trump’s proposal to radically increase defence spending could put even more pressure on the already sky-high US national debt.
While Trump insists any extra spending would be paid for by tariffs, bond markets might not be as convinced. Equity markets are already looking a bit doubtful, with futures prices implying a...
7 January 2026
Job security for FTSE 100 bosses much higher than for their football counterpartsShareholders are not necessarily famous for their patience, but they seem to possess more of it than football boardrooms or supporters.
Recent events at Manchester United suggest as much, and there were, once more, fewer changes in FTSE 100 CEOs than English league football managers in 2025.
Fourteen FTSE 100 firms saw a change in chief executive...
7 January 2026
Daily market update: oil and precious metals, Greenland events, Topps TilesThe FTSE 100 retreated from yesterday’s record high amid murmurings about the fate of Greenland and lower oil and precious metals prices.
As well as pledging to turn over between 30 and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil to the US following the weekend strikes on the country, prompting concern about crude oversupply and pressuring prices...
6 January 2026
Daily market update: Next, JD Sports, supermarkets, InPostThe FTSE 100 extended its New Year rally, moving 0.5% higher to 10,052 as banks and oil companies were in demand.
Next impressed with its Christmas trading update. That was bad news for Marks & Spencer as it lost clothing business to Next last year during months of cyberattack disruption. Investors appear to have concluded that Next’s success...
5 January 2026
Daily market update: gold and defence stocks, oil, Aldi, Auction TechnologyThe FTSE 100 hovered just under the 10,000 level as investors loaded up on shares in gold miners and defence contractors off the back of US strikes on Venezuela.
Heightened geopolitical tensions like the ones we’ve seen over the weekend would normally spook investors, but global markets have avoided a sell-off. Investors appear to be taking the...
30 December 2025
What to expect from FTSE 100 dividends in 2026Investors could potentially enjoy a 3.4% yield from the FTSE 100 in 2026, according to the market consensus forecast for dividend payments next year. That compares with a 3.2% yield for 2025.
This is one of the key findings from the latest edition of the AJ Bell Dividend Dashboard, which looks at trends among the UK’s biggest listed companies and...
