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 April 2026
Daily market update: FTSE falls after Bank of England warning, Intel, MondiAn official from the Bank of England has warned of a potential global stock market correction.
Deputy governor for financial stability Sarah Breeden told the BBC that current share prices didn’t reflect economic pressures facing the markets.
The stock market reflects what investors think will happen in the future. While markets have been wobbly...
22 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets steady on ceasefire extension, JD Sports, Shoe ZoneThe FTSE 100 was steady after an extension to the ceasefire between the US and Iran.
Mixed messages from Donald Trump, and an insistence that a US blockade of Iran will continue, mean investors are still playing a guessing game. Suggestions from the Iranian side that they will not attend today’s talks in Pakistan and an attack on a container ship...
21 April 2026
Daily market update: new CEO for Apple, British Land, Associated British FoodEuropean markets trod water in early trading as investors waited for the next update on US-Iran peace talks.
Oil prices remained below $100 a barrel which suggests cautious optimism that the Middle East conflict won’t intensify. However, the longer oil remains in the 90s range (currently $95), the higher the chance of an inflationary shock and a...
21 April 2026
What do events in the Middle East mean for the commodities market as a whole?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 .
Or alternatively leave a rating for the article and include your question in the comment box.
There’s been plenty of news about rising oil and gas prices recently but I’m interested...
20 April 2026
Daily market update: Stocks slip back, oil above $90, Evoke, FTSE 100It appears last week’s market enthusiasm over the Strait of Hormuz reopening may have been premature.
Events over the weekend have left the ceasefire between Tehran and Washington looking as fragile as ever.
The Strait was open for just a day before the US seizure of an Iranian vessel. The continuing blockade of the country’s ports over the weekend...
17 April 2026
Daily market update: S&P 500 has increased, Asian and European markets, IntertekCrisis, what crisis? In forging ahead to new all-time highs on Thursday night, the S&P 500 has now increased by $1.5 trillion in value since the Iran war began.
While other global indices aren’t quite as buoyant – Asian stocks largely easing back in their latest trading sessions and European shares starting Friday modestly lower – most of the falls...
15 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets edge higher, ASML, Barratt RedrowMarkets appear to be more optimistic about a Middle East peace deal, with stocks edging higher across Asia and Europe.
Despite the advance in equities, there was still a slight sense of nervousness as there remains considerable uncertainty over a successful outcome from peace negotiations.
Investors seem happy to dip their toe in the water again...
13 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets slip, Strait of Hormuz blockade, Vistry, Heathrow, LidlThe failure of initial talks between the US and Iran cannot be counted as a huge eye-opener, but Donald Trump’s threat to launch a US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz might not have been on the market’s bingo card.
Investors are trying to gauge whether a fragile ceasefire will hold, and they are waiting to see the next moves from Tehran and...
2 April 2026
Daily market update: Markets in retreat, FTSE 100, BP, ShellInvestors didn’t get what they wanted from President Trump’s address to the American people and have reacted accordingly.
Famously, uncertainty is kryptonite for the markets and between the contradictory messages from Trump, disputed claims on both sides, and the lack of clarity on a plan which can provide a resolution to the conflict they are...
1 April 2026
FTSE 100 dividend forecasts hold firm in face of conflictThis article uses data from our quarterly Dividend Dashboard report. To dive into more detail you can read the full guide .
Despite the market drops in March following conflict in Iran, forecasts for aggregate FTSE 100 dividend payments for 2026 are up slightly over the last three months, at £88 billion compared to £86 billion in December, and...
