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.
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...
30 June 2025
How to tell if gold is getting expensive (or not)Gold bugs will be beside themselves after the precious metal’s 44% gain in dollar terms over the past year, but the more investors who buy in, the more of a consensus position it becomes, and the more of a consensus position it becomes, the fewer incremental buyers there are to drive up the price.
True believers will continue to warn of the dangers...
27 June 2025
Daily market update: JD Sports, Nike, US markets“Investors were in a good mood at the end of the trading week with gains seen across European indices and many parts of Asia,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Geopolitical tensions have eased back, for now, and risk appetite has improved.
“Shares in JD Sports burst to life off the back of Nike’s results. The footwear manufacturer...
26 June 2025
Daily market update: BP, Shell, H&M, Moonpig, Associated British Foods“UK takeover action has focused on the mid to lower end of the market so far this year and for a brief moment it looked like we might get the first mega cap action. Alas, Shell has thrown cold water over talk it was preparing a bid for BP, meaning the FTSE 100 hasn’t delivered the surge which many thought might happen this morning,” says Russ Mould...
26 June 2025
Investors continue to shun oil stocks as crude price crumblesFinancial markets can never be always right, but their views must always be respected and right now it looks as if they are spot on when it comes to the risks posed by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Oil prices gained little ground when tensions flared between Israel and Iran last week and they shed those gains and more once the ceasefire...
25 June 2025
Daily market update: Babcock, Marks & Spencer, Warehouse REIT, Halfords“Markets were risk-on following the Middle East truce,” says Russ Mould, Investment Director at AJ Bell.
“Miners, oil producers and airlines were in demand on the UK stock market, helping to drive the FTSE 100 0.3% higher to 8,780. There was a clear rotation as investors moved away from more defensive-style stocks such as utilities, tobacco and...
