London, February 20, 2026, 08:10 GMT — Regular session
- RELX (REL) picked up roughly 1% at the open in London.
- The company has announced a fresh 1.6 million-share buyback and also released its annual report, along with Form 20-F.
- Eyes now turn to the March buyback window, with the April 23 trading update also on the radar.
RELX climbed 1.1% to 2,319 pence as of 0810 GMT on Friday, holding onto gains after a volatile month for the London-listed data and analytics firm. Shares shifted within a range of 2,301 to 2,328 pence, Investing.com data showed.
It’s a key development as investors weigh just how quickly generative AI will reshape the value of curated data and workflow tools. Earlier this month, RELX said its AI-powered products should drive growth “many years to come,” with Chief Financial Officer Nick Luff citing the company’s constantly refreshed data as “the edge.” Shares have dropped about 50% over the last year, hit by sector-wide concerns over AI-driven disruption—a trend that’s also taken down peers Wolters Kluwer and Thomson Reuters, according to Reuters. Reuters
Buybacks are providing short-term support. RELX revealed on Thursday it snapped up 1.6 million shares via UBS, paying an average 2,316 pence apiece—trades spanned 2,253 to 2,353 pence. Since Jan. 2, the company has repurchased 17.28 million shares. Following the latest transaction, RELX’s treasury stock climbed to 21.39 million shares, which remain on the books rather than being cancelled.
The latest annual report and U.S. Form 20-F offered another signal: capital returns haven’t erased the operational risks at play. RELX highlighted a lengthy roster of possible trouble, from data-use regulation and IP rules to cybersecurity threats and changes in how scientific publishing gets paid for. Total voting rights stood at roughly 1.812 billion shares.
These repurchases fall under an “irrevocable, non-discretionary” program, meaning the bank executes buybacks within defined boundaries, and the company itself doesn’t steer the process day to day. RELX kicked off this round on Feb. 12, planning to wrap by March 20, with £450 million earmarked—just a slice of the £2.25 billion it’s targeting for buybacks in 2026. Business Wire
RELX shares climbed 2.64% to close at £22.93 on Thursday, bucking the FTSE 100’s 0.55% drop, according to MarketWatch data. Volume jumped to 11.1 million shares—well above the 50-day average. Still, the stock sits roughly 45% under its May peak of £41.83.
Share buybacks have a way of bumping up earnings per share by cutting down the number of shares out there, but they leave actual product demand untouched. Should growth falter or if the sector gets knocked down on valuation again, even regular repurchases might not be enough to offset the pressure.
So traders are fixated not just on RELX’s M&A moves, but also on management’s commentary around AI. The key issue: will these AI offerings make RELX’s customers stickier, or just squeeze margins further in areas where data is already cheap to produce?
Coming up, RELX will release its trading update and hold its annual general meeting on April 23. Investors should note the shares go ex-dividend May 7, with the final payout landing June 18. Interim results hit the calendar for July 23.
