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.
23 January 2025
What does it mean for stock markets if the Santa Rally failed to deliver?The so-called Santa Rally in stock markets failed to deliver in December, when the FTSE 100 fell by 1.4% and America’s S&P 500 slid by 2.5%. However, such a soggy end to one year does not mean that the new year is guaranteed to lack cheer, at least if history is any guide.
Admittedly, there is no shortage of things about which investors can worry...
16 January 2025
Which UK stocks have analysts tipped for success in 2025?As we enter 2025, it can be useful for investors to look at what analysts think will happen in markets in the year. At present, 59% of all analysts’ recommendations for companies in the FTSE 100 are buys and just 7% are sells - the highest and lowest scores respectively over the past 11 years.
It’s a similar case for the FTSE 350 index, where 61%...
13 January 2025
FTSE 100 boardrooms more stable than football dressing rooms in 2024In 2024 it looks like shareholders and boardrooms once more showed more patience than football club executives and supporters, even if the FTSE 100 index made relatively modest progress compared to many of its major international peers.
A total of 14 FTSE 100 firms saw a change in chief executive, just above the post-2000 average of 13, while a new...
7 January 2025
FTSE 100 dividend cover decreases as profit and dividend forecasts slipThe FTSE 100 was up by almost 6% in 2024 and is offering a forecast dividend yield of some 3.6% on top of that, to provide a steady double-digit percentage return. Analysts expect £78.5 billion in dividends from the FTSE 100 in 2024, before a 6.5% increase in 2025 to £83.6 billion.
The FTSE 100’s forecast aggregate dividend payment for 2024 lies...
18 December 2024
Five themes for investors to watch in 2025Perhaps, thanks to AI, investors need to consider the words of American industrialist J. Paul Getty, who once asserted, ‘In times of rapid change, experience can be your worst enemy,’ because those who are sticking to long-held valuation disciplines are getting left behind as US equities generally, AI-related names more specifically and...
7 November 2024
What does a Trump triumph mean for markets?In stock market terms, Joe Biden has been an average president, as the Dow Jones Industrials index has advanced by 36.5% during his stint in office (so far), compared to the post-war historic average for a four-year presidency of 37.5%, and investors are already wondering what the 60th ballot in US history will mean for them.
The policies espoused...
6 November 2024
Why oil stocks could yet surprise despite bleak outlookEquity markets are buoyant, fixed income markets seem more nervous judging by yields on government bonds rising in the UK and USA and commodity prices continue to march to their own beat, as gold and silver surge, industrial metals largely flat line and oil and gas are well down over the past year.
Weak hydrocarbon prices are helping to cool...
6 November 2024
Stocks, currencies and bitcoin fired up as Trump declares victory, Marks & Spencer’s turnaround gathers pace, Wetherspoons toasts strong sales, Persimmon warns of cost pressures“US and European markets raced ahead on projections for Donald Trump to win the US Presidential election,” says Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell.
“The dollar strengthened and 10-year Treasury yields jumped to 4.406% on the assumption that Trump’s policies will stoke inflation and require interest rates to stay higher for longer. That...
21 October 2024
Is it time for emerging stock markets to return to favour?This could be the latest test of Sir John Templeton’s so-called principle of maximum pessimism. The fund management legend once stated, ‘People are always asking me where the outlook is good, but that is the wrong question. The right question is: where is the outlook most miserable?’
India’s headline Sensex stock market index trades at all-time...
15 October 2024
Pair of increased takeover bids state the value case for UK equitiesFrasers’ increased offer for Mulberry may well founder upon the blocking stake held by Challice but ABC Technologies seems to be winning over the board of TI Fluid Systems with its higher bid.
Both approaches suggest that trade buyers think there is value to be had in the UK equity market – a message that stock market investors still seem a bit...
