Shares Magazine
Shares Magazine is a London-based weekly digital publication, owned by AJ Bell (LSE: AJB), providing UK retail investors with expert analysis on shares, ISAs, pensions, and funds. It is distributed free online as part of AJ Bell's investor education offering to its 723,000+ customers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Shares Magazine does
Shares Magazine is a London-based weekly publication founded in 1999 that serves UK retail investors and stock market professionals with expert analysis, market commentary, and personal-finance education covering shares, ISAs, pensions, and funds. It is operated as an editorial content brand within AJ Bell, a publicly listed (LSE: AJB) FCA-authorised investment platform, and is made available free of charge to AJ Bell's customer base of more than 723,000 and to general web visitors. Content is produced by a named in-house editorial team including Sarah Coles, Rachel Vahey, Russ Mould, Dan Coatsworth, Laura Suter, and Paul Angell, and is supported by an "Ask the experts" reader Q&A format.
The publication runs on a digital publishing stack that distributes monthly editions through PDF downloads and an Issuu page-flip reader, with articles archived and indexed by topic category (Shares & the stock market, Personal finance, Pensions, ISAs, Funds). The platform is integrated into AJ Bell's broader product ecosystem, with editorial linking across the parent's Stocks & Shares ISA, SIPP, Ready-Made Pension, Dealing Account, Lifetime ISA, Junior ISA, Junior SIPP, Cash Savings Hub, AJ Bell Funds, Pension Builder Fund, and Starter Portfolios. AJ Bell's mobile app (iOS and Android) provides a further distribution surface for the content.
Shares Magazine does not operate a standalone paid business model. It functions as an investor-education and customer-engagement channel funded within AJ Bell, with the strategic objective of supporting acquisition, retention, and product usage across the AJ Bell platform rather than generating direct external revenue. The 113-article archive, FCA-regulated parent backdrop, and 11-50 headcount band reflect a low-cost, brand-led content operation rather than an independent media business.
Shares Magazine firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shares Magazine
- Legal name
- Shares Magazine
- Website
- https://sharesmagazine.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Shares Magazine is a London-based weekly digital publication, owned by AJ Bell (LSE: AJB), providing UK retail investors with expert analysis on shares, ISAs, pensions, and funds. It is distributed free online as part of AJ Bell's investor education offering to its 723,000+ customers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shares Magazine industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Investment Publishing
- NAICS
- Periodical Publishers (513120)
- SIC
- Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines (MPAJAEAM)
Keywords
Where Shares Magazine is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Markets served
Shares Magazine business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Shares Magazine product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shares Magazine is a monthly digital investment publication that delivers expert-led market analysis, stock research, fund news, ISA and pension guidance, and personal finance commentary to UK retail investors and stock market professionals. Distributed free via the AJ Bell website, PDF downloads, and the Issuu page flip platform, it functions as AJ Bell's investor education and customer engagement channel.
Product overview
AJ Bell operates a comprehensive investment platform offering a unified suite of financial products centered around its core investment accounts and pension solutions. The flagship products include the Stocks & Shares ISA, Self-Invested Personal Pension (SIPP), Ready-Made Pension, and Dealing Account, complemented by specialized accounts like the Lifetime ISA and Junior ISA. The company also provides proprietary investment funds including AJ Bell Funds and the Pension Builder Fund. Shares Magazine serves as the company's editorial content platform, delivering investment news and analysis to over 723,000 customers. All products are accessible through the AJ Bell App and share a common portfolio management and trading infrastructure.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Shares Magazine
Companies that use Shares Magazine
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Shares Magazine technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Shares Magazine partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Shares Magazine competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MoneyWeek: UK-based weekly magazine and digital publication covering investment ideas, market analysis, and personal finance for retail investors — same target audience and editorial proposition as Shares Magazine.
- Motley Fool UK: UK arm of The Motley Fool providing share recommendations, investment commentary, and educational content to retail investors — directly overlapping in topic coverage and audience with Shares Magazine.
- Investors Chronicle: Long-established UK weekly publication providing investment analysis, market commentary, and share tips to retail and professional investors — directly comparable to Shares Magazine in audience, format, and editorial scope.
- Citywire: UK-focused financial media business publishing investment news, fund analysis, and adviser-oriented content — overlapping with Shares Magazine on fund research and market coverage.
- Trustnet: UK investment research and news portal covering funds, shares, and markets for retail investors — comparable editorial focus on investment data and analysis aimed at self-directed UK investors.
Broad incumbents
- Interactive Investor (research & editorial): UK investment platform that publishes editorial research, market commentary, and educational content for its members — analogous to Shares Magazine as a content channel embedded in a UK investment platform.
- Financial Times (personal finance & markets coverage): Global financial news brand with extensive coverage of UK and international markets, shares, and personal finance — broader incumbent competing for the same retail-investor attention as Shares Magazine.
- Hargreaves Lansdown (research & newsroom): UK's largest retail investment platform, which publishes fund research, market news, and educational content — comparable to AJ Bell/Shares Magazine as a platform-led financial media channel.
- Morningstar UK: Global investment research provider with a strong UK presence, publishing fund and share analysis, market news, and educational content — overlapping with Shares Magazine's fund-research and market-coverage remit.
Regional players
- Sharesoc: UK not-for-profit membership organisation providing investment education, research, and a community for private investors — comparable UK-focused audience with an educational remit similar to Shares Magazine.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Shares Magazine social profiles
Digital presenceShares Magazine compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Shares Magazine financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shares Magazine leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Shares Magazine funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shares Magazine M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shares Magazine
What does Shares Magazine do?
Shares Magazine is a monthly digital investment publication that delivers expert-led market analysis, stock research, fund news, ISA and pension guidance, and personal finance commentary to UK retail investors and stock market professionals. Distributed free via the AJ Bell website, PDF downloads, and the Issuu page flip platform, it functions as AJ Bell's investor education and customer engagement channel.
Is Shares Magazine a public or private company?
Shares Magazine is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Shares Magazine founded?
Shares Magazine was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Shares Magazine based?
Shares Magazine is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
Who are Shares Magazine's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MoneyWeek, Motley Fool UK, Investors Chronicle, Citywire and Trustnet. Broad incumbents are Interactive Investor (research & editorial), Financial Times (personal finance & markets coverage), Hargreaves Lansdown (research & newsroom) and Morningstar UK. Sharesoc is listed as a regional player.
Does Shares Magazine have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shares Magazine.
What industry is Shares Magazine in?
Shares Magazine's product category is Investment Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAM, Business, Finance & Industry Trade Magazines. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.