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 November 2022
How to measure the success (or otherwise) of the Autumn StatementChancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt could be forgiven for viewing the ultimate success or failure of the fiscal policies outlined in the Autumn Statement in terms of votes, as his political career rests upon the ballot box, but financial markets will look toward gilt yields and sterling and consumers and voters will look toward inflation and...
3 November 2022
BP unveils fourth share buyback of 2022 as tax debate rages onThe debate over the rights and wrongs of BP’s bumper profits will run and run, but from the narrow perspective of investment the oil major’s announcement of its fourth share buyback scheme in 2022 means the FTSE 100’s members are on track to return record amounts of cash to their shareholders this year.
After Shell’s $4 billion announcement last...
13 October 2022
FTSE 100 set for record cash returns to investors but dividend forecasts stallThe FTSE 100 is now expected to yield 4.1% in 2022, as both the headline index and analysts’ dividend forecasts struggle to make any notable progress. The index’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £81.5 billion in 2022, compared to £78.5 billion in 2021, excluding special dividends.
Total payments peaked at £85.2 billion in 2018 and 2022...
13 October 2022
Drop in reservations rocks Barratt’s share price alongside grim economic backdropIf government ministers needed any evidence of how policy missteps can affect not just the financial markets but the real economy, then Barratt Developments’ first quarter results statement provided it in spades.
The average weekly rate of private reservations for new houses at its active sales outlets has fallen to 0.55 in the first three months...
29 September 2022
Another boo-boo from Boohoo as retailer warns on profits againIncreased costs, higher product returns and ongoing investment in warehousing and distribution meant that Boohoo issued profit warnings in December and May and lower-than-expected sales have now added to the tale of woe and forced the online retailer to issue another trading alert, this time alongside its first-half results.
Analysts had already...
16 September 2022
'Soggy' chip demand weighs on Renishaw despite profit and dividend boostIts wide spread of business, in terms of its customer industries and geographic markets, mean that precision instrument maker Renishaw is a pretty fair proxy for the global economy. Economists and stock market investors alike may therefore be concerned to hear the Gloucestershire firm flag how its new financial year is seeing weakness in orders in...
7 September 2022
Why the strong dollar could be a source of concern for investorsWhile UK-based investors will be well aware of how weak the pound is against the US dollar, languishing near $1.15 and its lows of early 1985, sterling is not the only currency whose decline against the greenback is gathering pace.
The DXY index, which measures the value of the dollar against six major currencies, stands at its highest level since...
1 September 2022
US earnings forecasts creep down as costs creep upTuesday’s batch of economic data from the US may ease fears of a recession, as job vacancies rose, consumer confidence rebounded and house prices stayed firm, all eyes will now switch to Thursday’s manufacturing data.
The Institute for Supply Management’s purchasing managers’ index (PMI) for manufacturing is on a long losing streak that goes back...
25 August 2022
UK mortgage approvals and US jobs data UK mortgage approvalsJune’s mortgage approvals figure was 63,726 according to the Bank of England. That undershot economists’ forecasts, representing the seventh time in twelve that approvals had fallen month-on-month and the eleventh consecutive year-on-year decline.
Perhaps most tellingly, that figure also undershot the 12-month average that...
4 August 2022
BP's bumper profits and a buyback bonanza for the FTSE 100The debate over the rights and wrongs of BP’s bumper profits will run and run but, from the narrow perspective of investment, the oil major’s latest share buyback means FTSE 100 members are on track to return record amounts of cash to their shareholders in 2022.
A forecast aggregate dividend pay-out of £85 billion almost matches 2018’s peak of £85...
