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.
9 March 2017
Retailers face up to the twin threats of a weak pound and ‘peak stuff’The first fall in non-food retail sales for six years in the three months to February, according to data from the BRC-KPMG monthly survey (7 March), helps to explain why the UK’s General Retail stocks continue to perform so dismally, even as investors remain generally upbeat on the prospects for future growth and equities in general.
The FTSE All...
2 March 2017
Big house builders need to reassure on growthIn these income-starved times of record-low interest rates and depressed bond yields it is hard to believe that a FTSE 100 stock would barely move when the management team affirms dividend plans that equate to a 7.7% yield for 2017.
But shares in Taylor Wimpey yawned at exactly such an announcement at the end of last month (28 February), mirroring...
23 February 2017
Investors in FTSE 100 banks face a choice between growth and yieldDeadlines mean this document must be written just before Friday’s full-year results from RBS and Standard Chartered but the figures published from the other members of the Big Five FTSE 100 banks make for instructive reading and continue to move share prices.
Barclays and Lloyds appear to be in investors’ good books.
A higher dividend from Lloyds...
14 February 2017
Why the big lenders banks remain a bankable indicator for the wider health of marketsOne of this column’s key themes for 2017 is the health of UK banks and why this is important to any investors with exposure to the UK equity market.
The Big five quoted names – Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Chartered – represent around 15% of aggregate FTSE 100 pre-tax profit and dividend payments, according to...
9 February 2017
How to tell whether the yield curve is about to throw the markets a fastballFor all of their ongoing enthusiasm for the reflationary ‘Trump’ trade, stock markets have stopped going up and bond markets have stopped going down on both sides of the Atlantic, at least for the moment. To further muddy the waters, the dollar has weakened and gold poked its head back above the $1,200-an-ounce mark.
Despite the misgivings voiced...
3 February 2017
Time to see whether the “three steps and a stumble” rule will apply or not in 2017While markets were spot on when they put just a 4% chance on a rate rise from the US Federal Reserve at its first policy meeting of the year last Wednesday (1 February) the American central bank is still targeting three interest rate increases, of 0.25% each for 2017.
That would take the Fed Funds target rate to a range of 1.25% to 1.50% from its...
26 January 2017
How to assess whether China will offer anything to crow about in the Year of the RoosterFirst of all this column would like to wish all of its regular readers kung hei fat choi, offering good wishes as China’s Year of the Rooster begins on Saturday 28 January.
Roosters are reportedly punctual and trustworthy and since this is a Fire year among the Chinese elements, those born in the coming 12 months will supposedly be good at managing...
19 January 2017
Five ways to judge whether bouncy markets are becoming (too) bubblyAs the FTSE 100 stands near record highs following a stunning run of 14 consecutive gains which spanned the festive and New Year period all investors will be asking themselves is whether the UK’s leading index is becoming overcooked. In fact, with stock market indices from Korea to Kuwait, Singapore to Switzerland and Egypt to Europe’s Stoxx 50 all...
12 January 2017
Do brokers pick the winners?When it comes to stock picking there are many different styles and ways of selecting the individual shares which investors feel best suit their overall strategy, target returns, time horizon and appetite for risk (assuming they feel confident enough to do this in the first place, rather than leave the job to a fund manager).
Momentum is one, where...
9 January 2017
Can the FTSE 100 extend its winning streak?The FTSE 100 has recorded nine consecutive closing highs and the natural question for investors is whether this progress can be maintained. Here Russ Mould, AJ Bell's Investment Director looks at:
The four sectors that are likely to define the FTSE 100 progress during 2017 What exposure top performing funds have to these sectorsTo judge whether...
