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.
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...
3 August 2022
HSBC ends reporting season for Big Five FTSE 100 banks in styleThe combination of rising interest rates - and therefore improving net interest margins – alongside cost control and low expectations means that HSBC’s second-quarter results are pleasing investors and adding a final polish on reporting season from the Big Five FTSE 100 banks.
Profits and cash returns have either met or beaten forecasts, and only...
28 July 2022
Unilever's brand power helps it push through hefty price rises to consumersCompanies with strong brands are often seen by investors as a good hedge against inflation, because those brands command customer loyalty and sticky customers are more likely to pay up for the products and names they cherish.
Unilever’s first-half results go a long way to supporting that theory, because profits are up despite input cost increases...
27 July 2022
Walmart issues profit warning as it suffers from inflation, excess stock and pressure on consumer spendingWhen one of the world’s largest retailers dishes out a profit warning, investors really need to pay attention and Monday’s trading alert from Walmart offers evidence of three trends to ponder.
And all three may prove just to be just as important on this side of the Atlantic, so anyone with shares in leading UK-based and UK-listed retailers has some...
22 July 2022
FTSE 100 firms on track to pay £85bn in dividends & could surpass record set in 2018The FTSE 100 is now expected to yield 4.2% in 2022, thanks to the combination of share price falls and increases in dividend forecasts. The index’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £85 billion in 2022 excluding special dividends, up from £78.5 billion in 2021.
It means total payments could surpass 2018’s record, although the current...
8 July 2022
A change of Chancellor and what history tells us about their influence on marketsThe outgoing Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, may wish he’d been dealt a better hand. Brexit, covid-19 and the Russian invasion of Ukraine all meant that global events had a huge influence on the UK economy and the nation’s finances.
Given the events of recent days, it is hard to know precisely how long the latest appointment to 11 Downing Street, Nadhim...
7 July 2022
How the stock market responds to a change of Prime Minister mid-termIn the end Boris Johnson should - just - outlast Theresa May’s stint as Prime Minister, but financial markets are now wondering who will come next and what policies they will bring with them.
The FTSE All-Share is up, and the pound is making minor gains against the dollar and euro as investors consider who the next PM will be and hope for greater...
30 June 2022
Hunting shares get drilled even as firm predicts return to the blackA blossoming order book, an upturn in business in the USA and management’s forecast of a return to a net profit in 2022 are not proving enough to support shares in Hunting as financial markets continue to fret about a recession and a possible drop in demand for oil. A cash outflow in the first quarter of $38 million is also spooking investors.
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