London, Jan 7, 2026, 08:48 GMT — Regular session
Shares in RELX (REL.L) rose 0.8% to 3,103 pence in early London trade on Wednesday after the company disclosed another round of share repurchases. The stock ranged between 3,089 and 3,117 pence and remains about a quarter below its 52-week high of 4,205 pence.
The steady drumbeat of buybacks has given traders a near-term anchor as they look past day-to-day swings and toward the next set of company numbers. RELX has been a defensive holding for many UK investors, prized for subscription-style revenue from legal, risk and scientific information services.
The broader FTSE 100 fell 0.5% to 10,074 in early trade, a day after closing at a record 10,123. RELX was among the names holding up better than the blue-chip index in the opening hour.
RELX said it bought 313,411 shares on Jan. 6 at an average price of 3,063.9622 pence, with prices ranging from 3,037 to 3,086 pence. The group said it has bought 959,364 shares since Jan. 2 and now holds 5,067,236 shares in treasury.
The stock had already found support earlier in the week, rising 3.6% on Monday to 30.90 pounds, outperforming the wider market. Trading volume was 2.2 million shares, well below its 50-day average of about 5.1 million, MarketWatch data showed.
Buybacks shrink the share count and can lift earnings per share, a common profit-per-share yardstick. They can also signal that management prefers returning cash to shareholders rather than piling it up on the balance sheet.
But buybacks will not settle the bigger question for investors: whether RELX can sustain growth and pricing power as customers scrutinise budgets. Any disappointment on margins or renewals would likely outweigh day-to-day support from repurchases.
