London, February 6, 2026, 08:01 GMT — Regular session.
- RELX shares hovered near 2,249p in early London trading, showing little movement.
- The stock swung this week amid concerns over AI disruption linked to Anthropic’s legal tools.
- Investors are now eyeing RELX’s full-year results set for Feb. 12.
RELX (REL.L) shares hovered around 2,249 pence in early London trading on Friday, as investors looked to put a turbulent week behind them for the LexisNexis legal data and Elsevier academic publishing owner.
The stock dropped roughly 14% Tuesday following the launch of new legal automation tools by U.S. AI startup Anthropic, which also weighed on peers like Wolters Kluwer and Thomson Reuters. “The selling pressure in software and data analytics reflects a deepening structural debate,” noted Schroders analyst Jonathan McMullan. Reuters
The discussion centers on pricing power and the so-called “visibility premium” — that extra value investors assign to companies with predictable recurring revenue. But recent AI news has shaken confidence in that premium, casting doubt even on firms boasting steady subscriptions.
RELX bounced back Thursday, climbing 2.9% despite the FTSE 100 slipping after the Bank of England kept rates steady at 3.75%, narrowly voting 5-4. The central bank also signaled potential cuts if inflation continues to cool.
Shares closed Thursday up 2.93% at 22.49 pounds, with roughly 10.6 million changing hands, according to MarketWatch data.
RELX continued its stock buyback, acquiring 479,305 shares on Feb. 5 at a volume-weighted average price of 2,257.8008 pence. The company plans to hold these shares in treasury, meaning they won’t be cancelled but kept on its books.
A filing revealed that, the previous day, it acquired 431,217 shares at a VWAP of 2,174.4368 pence.
Anthropic, supported by Amazon and Google, zeroed in on its latest move Thursday with the launch of an upgraded Claude model. The company also highlighted offerings such as “Claude Cowork,” aimed at handling computer-based tasks. “We are excited to partner,” said Scott White, Anthropic’s head of product for enterprise, in remarks to Reuters. Reuters
RELX faces a key moment soon. The firm will report its full-year results for 2025 on Feb. 12.
Still, the earnings report probably won’t settle the debate by itself. Should management signal tougher renewals, slower growth, or increased pricing pressure in legal and analytics tools, the rally from earlier this week could quickly fade.
Investors are focused on how RELX positions its AI offerings and views the competition following the recent selloff in legal-software and data stocks. February 12 is the key date to watch.
