RELX PLC stock is back in focus on December 16, 2025 as investors weigh three near-term drivers: a fresh round of share repurchases, a steady drumbeat of bullish broker commentary, and ongoing evidence that RELX’s AI-enabled products are becoming central to its growth narrative. The London-listed shares (LSE: REL) are trading around 3,077p (£30.77), a level that highlights both resilience and a notable pullback from this year’s peak. [1]
Below is a comprehensive, up-to-date look at the latest RELX news, the current analyst forecast picture, and the fundamentals that are shaping sentiment around the stock as of 16 December 2025.
RELX share price today: where the stock stands on December 16, 2025
RELX shares are indicated around 3,077p on December 16, 2025, with a 52-week range cited around 2,970p to 4,205p. [2]
That matters because it frames the current debate:
- The stock is roughly 26.8% below its 52-week high (around 4,205p / £42.05), a decline that has encouraged “entry-point” arguments from some analysts. [3]
- At the same time, RELX remains one of the FTSE 100’s most highly regarded “quality compounders,” supported by recurring revenues, strong cash generation, and a long track record of shareholder returns—factors that can keep valuation multiples elevated even in choppier markets. [4]
In the latest completed session referenced by MarketWatch (Monday, December 15, 2025), RELX shares rose 2.02% to close at £30.77, outperforming a rising FTSE 100 and doing so on lighter-than-average volume. [5]
The biggest near-term catalyst: RELX confirms buyback completion and launches a new £250 million programme
One of the most concrete pieces of company news shaping the RELX stock outlook is capital returns.
On December 5, 2025, RELX announced:
- It completed its 2025 share buyback programme, purchasing 39.5 million shares for £1.5 billion in total.
- It will run an additional irrevocable, non-discretionary buyback programme of up to £250 million from January 2, 2026 to February 6, 2026, with UBS managing execution.
- It also disclosed the cancellation of 55 million shares held in treasury and provided updated figures for shares in issue and treasury. [6]
For equity investors, buybacks can matter in two ways:
- Mechanical EPS support: Fewer shares outstanding can lift earnings per share over time, all else equal.
- Signalling: Management willingness to deploy capital into repurchases often reinforces confidence in cash generation and long-term demand.
RELX explicitly stated the purpose of the new programme is to reduce capital, with repurchased shares intended to be held in treasury. [7]
Another fresh update: additional listing tied to employee Sharesave plan
RELX also published a regulatory update on December 12, 2025 related to employee share participation.
The company applied for a block listing of 60,000 ordinary shares connected to the RELX PLC Sharesave Plan 2023, with admission expected on December 17, 2025. [8]
This is not typically a market-moving event on its own (the share count is small relative to RELX’s scale), but it is part of a broader picture: RELX continues to use equity-based participation as a tool for employee engagement while maintaining an active approach to capital structure management. [9]
What RELX said about growth: strong underlying revenue gains and AI-enabled products
While buybacks are the headline “capital” story, RELX’s “business” story is still about analytics, decision tools, and AI.
In its Trading Update dated October 23, 2025, RELX reported:
- Underlying revenue growth year-to-date: +7%
- Segment highlights (underlying revenue growth YTD):
- Risk: +8%
- Scientific, Technical & Medical: +5%
- Legal: +9%
- Exhibitions: +8% [10]
RELX also reaffirmed a confident full-year stance, stating it expected another year of strong underlying growth in revenue and adjusted operating profit, as well as strong growth in adjusted EPS on a constant currency basis. [11]
Importantly for the current market narrative, RELX tied its momentum to the continued roll-out of AI-enabled analytics and decision tools, citing products such as Lexis+ AI and its Protégé legal assistant initiatives, and AI-powered tools for researchers in the STM division. [12]
That focus is consistent with what Reuters highlighted around the company’s first-half 2025 performance: RELX linked demand for its generative AI tools (notably among lawyers and scientists) to profit growth, while reiterating confidence in further growth as it launched new products and benefited from its conference business. [13]
Analyst forecasts and price targets: what the Street expects as of December 16, 2025
If you search “RELX stock forecast” today, you’ll quickly find that the consensus skew remains bullish—and it’s not subtle.
According to Investing.com’s compiled analyst consensus for RELX (LSE: REL):
- Average 12-month price target:4,433.85p
- High estimate:5,300p
- Low estimate:3,700p
- The site lists 13 analysts, with the consensus labeled Strong Buy and the implied upside from around 3,077p at roughly +44%. [14]
Recent broker actions in focus
Two notable items that continue to circulate in market commentary in December 2025:
Deutsche Bank
- Multiple market summaries report that Deutsche Bank upgraded RELX to Buy in early December.
- Several sources (including aggregated broker tables and reports based on research-note coverage) describe a target price around 3,700p, often referenced as a reduction from about 4,072p while still upgrading the rating—essentially framing the call as “quality business, better entry point after de-rating.” [15]
- Some market write-ups have described the target move differently, so investors should focus on the consistent core takeaway: the rating tone improved to Buy, with valuation and AI debate central to the rationale. [16]
JPMorgan
- Investing.com’s broker table shows JPMorgan maintaining a Buy rating on December 10, 2025 with a listed target around 50.70 (often presented as £50.70 / 5,070p in UK terms). [17]
Other firms in the same table include Barclays, Morgan Stanley, and Bernstein, reinforcing that—at least in published consensus snapshots—RELX remains widely viewed as a structurally attractive compounder rather than a cyclical “trade.” [18]
Why the market keeps rewarding RELX: the bull case for RELX stock
Even after the stock’s pullback from its February high, the core bullish thesis is intact for many long-term holders:
1) Sticky, workflow-embedded products
RELX operates in markets where data and tools are integrated into professional workflows—legal research, risk and compliance checks, scientific discovery tools, and industry events. That tends to support recurring revenue and high retention through cycles. [19]
2) AI as a product layer, not just a buzzword
RELX’s commentary consistently positions AI as an enhancement to proprietary datasets and customer outcomes—an angle that can justify premium pricing if tools measurably reduce time and increase accuracy for professionals. [20]
3) Shareholder returns remain a priority
The completed £1.5 billion buyback and the newly announced £250 million programme reinforce the company’s playbook: invest in products and data, and return excess capital through buybacks (and dividends). [21]
4) A long-term transformation narrative that investors understand
A Financial Times profile in late November described RELX’s multi-decade shift from traditional publishing into a data and analytics powerhouse, highlighting its positioning in the UK’s corporate AI push and pointing to a large set of generative AI product launches across key divisions. [22]
The bear case: key risks investors are watching right now
A balanced RELX stock analysis also needs to acknowledge the pressures that can keep the share price from quickly reclaiming its highs:
AI disruption risk cuts both ways
RELX argues that AI strengthens its products. But markets still debate whether generative AI could also weaken certain content-heavy models across the information industry—especially if customers find cheaper alternatives or if platforms commoditize parts of the workflow. That “AI fear” theme was explicitly referenced in market commentary around broker notes. [23]
Regulatory and data constraints
RELX itself flags risks tied to regulation and the collection/use of personal data, plus cybersecurity and other operational vulnerabilities—issues that matter for any data-rich, analytics-led business. [24]
Research integrity and STM business-model scrutiny
RELX’s Scientific, Technical & Medical segment benefits from strong submission trends and product innovation, but the broader academic publishing ecosystem remains under scrutiny globally (open access economics, quality control, and research integrity). RELX includes “research integrity issues” among its risk factors. [25]
Valuation and rate sensitivity
High-quality compounders can be sensitive to rate expectations because a larger portion of their perceived value comes from long-duration cash flows. In early-to-mid December, markets were already trading on shifting rate expectations (including attention on the Fed and speculation about a Bank of England cut). [26]
What to watch next: key dates and potential catalysts for RELX shares
For investors tracking RELX stock into early 2026, several calendar items stand out:
- December 17, 2025: expected admission of shares linked to the Sharesave Plan block listing. [27]
- January 2 to February 6, 2026: the next £250 million buyback window (non-discretionary programme). [28]
- February 12, 2026: RELX’s scheduled results announcement for the year to 31 December 2025. [29]
Between now and those milestones, RELX’s share price action is likely to remain driven by the intersection of:
- market-level rate and risk appetite,
- incremental signals about AI product adoption and pricing, and
- how investors judge RELX’s valuation relative to other “defensive growth” names.
Bottom line for December 16, 2025
As of December 16, 2025, RELX PLC stock sits at a crossroads that is familiar to long-term quality compounders: the company continues to report strong underlying growth and pushes deeper into AI-powered tools, while the share price remains meaningfully below its 2025 highs—creating a valuation debate that analysts and investors are actively revisiting. [30]
With a new buyback about to begin in early January, a broad bullish tilt in analyst targets, and a major earnings event scheduled for February, RELX is set up to remain a highly watched FTSE 100 name into the turn of the year. [31]
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. www.marketwatch.com, 4. www.hl.co.uk, 5. www.marketwatch.com, 6. www.investegate.co.uk, 7. www.investegate.co.uk, 8. www.sharecast.com, 9. www.sharecast.com, 10. www.relx.com, 11. www.relx.com, 12. www.relx.com, 13. www.reuters.com, 14. www.investing.com, 15. www.investing.com, 16. www.investing.com, 17. www.investing.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. www.relx.com, 20. www.relx.com, 21. www.investegate.co.uk, 22. www.ft.com, 23. www.investing.com, 24. www.relx.com, 25. www.relx.com, 26. www.reuters.com, 27. www.sharecast.com, 28. www.investegate.co.uk, 29. www.relx.com, 30. www.relx.com, 31. www.investing.com
