RELX PLC Share Price Today (LON: REL): UK Stock Climbs Against a Falling FTSE 100

RELX PLC’s London‑listed shares edged higher on Friday, 21 November 2025, standing out as a defensive winner on a rough day for the wider UK market. The stock closed around 3,086p, up 58p (about 1.9%) from Thursday’s 3,028p finish, even as the FTSE 100 slipped roughly 0.5–0.6% to a one‑month low. ^[1]

Defensive names such as RELX and Unilever were among the few blue‑chip gainers as renewed worries about an AI‑driven market bubble hit riskier parts of the index. ^[2]

RELX share price today: key numbers for 21 November 2025

Based on end‑of‑day data from London:

Closing price (LSE: REL): ~3,086p
Daily move:+58p, about +1.9% versus Thursday’s 3,028p close ^[3]
Intraday range: roughly 3,024p – 3,087p, with RELX finishing near the top of the day’s range ^[4]
Opening price:3,046p ^[5]
Market capitalisation: around £56.1bn ^[6]
P/E ratio (trailing): about 25.2x ^[7]
Dividend yield (forward): roughly 2.0% ^[8]
52‑week range:3,011p (low) to 4,205p (high) ^[9]
Volume today: just over 1.1m shares on the LSE ^[10]

In New York, RELX’s ADRs (NYSE: RELX) last closed at $39.59 on Thursday, 20 November 2025, with early Friday indications broadly flat. ^[11]

Market backdrop: RELX gains while the FTSE 100 sags

The move in RELX came against a clearly risk‑off backdrop. The FTSE 100 fell around 0.6% on Friday, heading for its worst week since April as investors fretted that the global AI trade may have run too hot. ^[12]

Cyclical and risk‑sensitive stocks — notably banks, miners, energy names and some industrials — led the decline. By contrast, defensive, cash‑generative groups with stable earnings, including RELX, Unilever and Diageo, attracted buyers and were up roughly 1–2% intra‑day. ^[13]

This pattern fits RELX’s profile: the company sells information‑based analytics and decision tools into regulated and professional markets such as risk, legal and scientific research — areas that are less tied to day‑to‑day consumer spending and commodity prices. ^[14]

All the key RELX‑related news around 21 November 2025

While RELX did not issue a new trading statement on Friday itself, several fresh articles and recent releases are helping frame investor sentiment around the stock:

1. UK commentary: can RELX’s outperformance continue into 2026?

A new Motley Fool UK piece published on 21 November 2025 revisits RELX as a long‑running FTSE 100 winner. The article notes that management recently highlighted an “improving long‑term growth trajectory” and increasing use of AI‑powered tools across the group, but also questions whether the stock can keep outperforming into 2026 given its premium valuation. ^[15]

The key takeaway for investors from that coverage:

RELX is still seen as a quality compounder.
At the same time, there is growing focus on how much of that quality is already priced in, especially after a multi‑year rerating.

2. Simply Wall St: AI upside vs valuation tension

An analysis on Simply Wall St, updated around 21 November, argues that generative AI should be a tailwind particularly for RELX’s legal and risk divisions, enabling more sophisticated decision tools for customers. However, the piece also flags:

Mixed analyst moves, with some price targets adjusted lower even as profit expectations creep higher.
A view that RELX trades at a rich multiple compared with parts of the wider market, reflecting its defensive growth profile. ^[16]

In short: AI is seen as structurally positive, but investors are debating how much they should pay for that story.

3. Citywire “Expert View”: AI fears now “an opportunity, not a threat”

Earlier this week, Citywire’s Expert View column highlighted RELX alongside several other UK names. In that piece, analysts argued that RELX has effectively “put fears of artificial intelligence (AI) disruption to bed”, with the technology now viewed as an opportunity rather than a threat to its business model. ^[17]

That dovetails with the company’s own messaging: RELX emphasises that it is embedding AI into existing datasets and workflows rather than being displaced by it, aiming to deepen customer lock‑in.

4. LexisNexis Q3 2025 Insurance Demand Meter: solid data points from the risk arm

On 20 November 2025, RELX subsidiary LexisNexis Risk Solutions released its latest U.S. Insurance Demand Meter for Q3 2025 — data that investors are still digesting in Friday’s session. Headline figures included: ^[18]

Auto insurance shopping growth of 6.4% year‑on‑year.
New policy growth of 2.8% YoY.
Shoppers aged 66+ were the fastest‑growing cohort, with roughly 10% growth.
The direct channel (online/direct‑to‑consumer) saw 14.1% shopping growth.
Around 46.5% of policies‑in‑force were shopped at least once in the past 12 months.

These data points reinforce the idea that RELX’s risk analytics franchise is plugged into structurally active end‑markets, even as economic conditions remain mixed.

5. Ongoing RNS flow: “Transaction in Own Shares”

Although not dated 21 November itself, investors today are still responding to a steady drumbeat of share‑buyback regulatory news service (RNS) announcements this week:

On 20 November, RELX disclosed the purchase of 61,554 ordinary shares via JP Morgan Securities on the LSE, to be held in treasury. ^[19]
Earlier RNS filings this month show additional daily purchases, with RELX confirming that since 2 January 2025 it has bought more than 39m shares, now holding roughly 58.8m shares in treasury and leaving about 1.82bn shares in issue (excluding treasury). ^[20]

These updates sit under a non‑discretionary buyback programme running from 24 July to 28 November 2025, signalling a continued focus on returning cash and supporting earnings per share. ^[21]

Fundamentals in focus: why RELX keeps being treated as a “quality defensive”

Trading update and investor messaging

RELX’s most recent formal trading update, on 23 October 2025, set much of the tone for how investors are reading today’s price action. Management reported: ^[22]

Underlying revenue growth of about 7% year‑to‑date.
An “improving long‑term growth trajectory” driven by a shift toward higher‑growth analytics and decision tools.
A full‑year outlook calling for another year of strong underlying revenue and adjusted operating profit growth, alongside robust EPS expansion at constant currency.

Earlier, the Q2 2025 earnings call underlined this trend with: ^[23]

7% underlying revenue growth in the first half.
9% adjusted operating profit growth.
100% cash conversion.
A 7% increase in the interim dividend.

Across its four segments — Risk; Scientific, Technical & Medical; Legal; and Exhibitions — RELX continues to emphasise recurring subscription revenues, mission‑critical workflows and the scaling of AI‑enhanced tools, rather than pure advertising or one‑off licence sales. ^[24]

Valuation snapshot after today’s bounce

After Friday’s gain, RELX’s London shares trade at: ^[25]

A P/E of roughly 25x (UK line), versus a U.S.‑listed P/E just under 30x on some data providers.
A dividend yield of about 2%, covered by growing earnings.
A price close to the bottom end of the 52‑week range (3,011p–4,205p), suggesting the shares remain well below earlier‑year highs despite today’s rally.

Different data providers disagree slightly on the exact 12‑month total return — some show a meaningful drawdown from last year’s peak, while others indicate a modest positive return once earlier lows are included. What is clear is that the stock has de‑rated from the very rich multiples seen in late 2024–early 2025, even though earnings have continued to grow.

Why the market liked RELX today

Putting it together, today’s positive share‑price move in RELX against a weak FTSE 100 reflects a few overlapping themes:

Defensive growth in a stormy market
- With AI bubble fears knocking high‑beta tech and cyclicals, investors have been rotating into names with predictable cash flows and high recurring revenue, a bucket where RELX sits comfortably. ^[26]
Reassuring growth narrative powered by AI – but without “AI mania” risk
- Recent trading updates and analyst commentary frame AI as a productivity and pricing lever inside RELX’s existing franchises, not a speculative standalone bet. ^[27]
Continuous buybacks underpinning EPS and signalling confidence
- The ongoing daily RNS flow on transactions in own shares and the summer–autumn buyback mandate give investors comfort that management sees value in the current share price and is willing to deploy significant capital accordingly. ^[28]
Solid underlying data points from LexisNexis and other subsidiaries
- The Q3 Insurance Demand Meter shows robust activity in U.S. auto insurance shopping, reinforcing the story that RELX’s risk analytics are embedded in markets still seeing healthy transaction volumes. ^[29]

What today’s move means for investors

From an investor’s perspective, Friday’s session underlines a few practical points:

RELX remains a go‑to “quality defensive” in the FTSE 100. When macro nerves spike, capital often rotates back into names like RELX that combine recurring revenues, high margins and strong cash generation. ^[30]
AI is now a clear positive part of the investment case, with multiple independent commentators and the company itself framing generative AI as a way to deepen competitive advantages rather than a disruptive threat. ^[31]
Valuation remains the main debate. At ~25x UK earnings and ~2% yield, RELX still commands a premium to the wider FTSE 100, even after this year’s pullback — something highlighted in today’s investor commentary. ^[32]

As always, this article is for information only and is not investment advice. Anyone considering buying or selling RELX shares should look at their own objectives, risk tolerance and tax position, and, if needed, speak to a regulated financial adviser.