LONDON, Jan 5, 2026, 09:50 GMT — Regular session
- RELX (REL.L) rose 1.9% in early London trading, snapping a run of weakness that left the stock near its 12-month low.
- A firmer European tape helped, with investors weighing fresh geopolitical risk and the outlook for rate cuts.
- The next company catalyst is RELX’s full-year results on Feb. 12.
RELX shares rose 58 pence, or 1.9%, to 3,041 pence by 09:29 GMT, after trading as high as 3,060 pence. The stock is still down 9.4% over the past 52 weeks and remains about 28% below its 12-month high, Financial Times market data showed. 1
The bounce matters because RELX is widely held for its steady, subscription-heavy revenues, making it a go-to “defensive” name when investors want earnings visibility. When it moves sharply early in the year, it can signal portfolio repositioning rather than a single company headline.
That repositioning is happening against a noisier backdrop. European stocks traded firmer on Monday as investors bought defence shares after U.S. military action in Venezuela, while technology also led gains and traders watched for clues on how quickly interest-rate cuts might arrive. 2
In London, the FTSE 100 started the session higher, supported by strength in defence-linked names, according to Trading Economics data carried by TradingView. 3
Technically minded investors also watch whether a stock is reclaiming key trend lines after a slide. A “moving average” is a rolling average price used to gauge direction; when a share price moves above it, some traders read it as a sign selling pressure is easing.
Still, the relief rally has company-specific risks waiting in the wings, starting with any shift in global risk appetite. “The removal of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the U.S. is unlikely to have meaningful near-term economic consequences for the global economy,” Neil Shearing, group chief economist at Capital Economics, said, while warning political and geopolitical repercussions would reverberate. 4
Investors in Europe also had a full macro diary to navigate on Monday, including the euro zone’s January Sentix index and the Bank of England’s consumer credit and mortgage lending figures for November. 5
For RELX, attention turns to Feb. 12, when the company is scheduled to report results for the year to Dec. 31, 2025. Traders will be listening for guidance on underlying growth, margins and cash returns, with any disappointment likely to test support after the recent slide. 6
