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.
8 April 2022
FTSE 100 forecast to deliver a 5.4% total cash return in 2022The FTSE 100’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £81.2 billion in 2022, compared to £78.5 billion in 2021, equating to a yield of 3.9%. Total payments peaked at £85.2 billion in 2018 and 2022 is expected to get closer to that mark.
Ninety-seven FTSE 100 firms are expected to pay a dividend in 2022, against 91 in 2021 and 85 in 2020, as...
24 March 2022
What does US bond market blitz mean for stock markets (and the economy)?It was former US President Bill Clinton’s economic adviser James Carville who said that if he were reincarnated, he would like to come back as the bond market because then ‘you can intimidate everybody.’ Now that US bond yields are surging and prices are falling, stock market investors need to seriously think about whether it is time to be...
28 January 2022
IG Design’s American dream turns into a nightmareA second profit warning in four months is tearing a big hole in the share price of greetings cards, crafting, gifts and gift wrapping specialist IG Design.
Supply chain problems, higher raw material prices and higher shipping and fulfilment costs have been compounded by drop in demand for crafting in the USA as lockdowns have eased and Americans...
21 January 2022
Share prices stumble after just two months of less loose policy from the FedWell, that didn’t take long. The Fed began to pump less Quantitative Easing (QE) into the financial system in November and the stock market’s wheels have started to wobble after barely two months of less cheap money, let alone move to withdraw it.
Investors are already starting to ask themselves how much the US Federal Reserve can do to tighten...
13 January 2022
Vistry shares unmoved as remediation cost worries chip away at confidenceA 41% jump in completions, firm selling prices and growing confidence in its mixed-tenure Partnerships operation mean that housebuilder Vistry is reaping the benefit of strong demand for housing, Government support for the industry and 2020’s £1.1 billion purchase of Galliford Try’s housing and regeneration business.
However, the share price isn’t...
22 December 2021
The five investment trends that really mattered in 2021 (and that could influence 2022)The past 12 months have been a bit of a mixed bag from a portfolio point of view. The American, Indian, German and French stock markets all set new all-time highs in the fourth quarter, the FTSE 100 has provided a double-digit percentage capital gain (with dividends on top) and oil surprised with a near-40% gain – but Brazil and China are down for...
17 December 2021
Dividend estimates stall but FTSE 100 forecast to yield 4.1% in 2022The FTSE 100 is currently expected to yield 4.1% in 2022, helped by the second annual increase in a row after 2020’s sharp decline. The index’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £83.2 billion in 2021, compared to £61.8 billion in 2020, excluding special dividends.
These articles are for information purposes only and are not a personal...
27 October 2021
Prosecco budget delivers cheer for pub groups and housebuildersThis was a Budget for lower paid workers, drivers and boozers, with a large increase in spending on public services. In many ways it was like watching austerity in reverse. Overall the policy decisions represent a £75 billion giveaway over the next five years. Make no mistake there is a cost to this, but many of the painful decisions that paved the...
11 October 2021
FTSE 100 dividends in touching distance of pre-pandemic peakThe FTSE 100 is currently expected to yield 4.1% in 2021, helped by the first year of dividend growth since 2018. The index’s total dividend pay-out is expected to reach £84.1 billion in 2021, compared to £61.8 billion in 2020, an increase of 36%.
Total payments peaked at £85.2 billion in 2018 and 2022 is expected to get tantalisingly close to that...
1 October 2021
S&U shows the benefits of keeping it simple as profits and dividend rise“Lower loan impairments as the pandemic’s impact starts to ease, prudent lending policies and a new online portal all mean that specialist finance provider S&U is making the most of an upturn in demand for both cars and property refurbishments in the UK,” says AJ Bell investment director, Russ Mould.
“Profits are up, the dividend is growing again...
