London, April 23, 2026, 15:53 BST
RELX Plc stuck with its 2026 outlook on Thursday, pointing to a solid start to the year in each of its four divisions. Shortly after shareholders approved a repurchase authorization at the annual meeting, the company launched a new £350 million buyback. RELX reported continued strength in revenue, profit, and new sales.
The timing isn’t great for the industry. A Reuters Breakingviews piece pointed out that February’s AI-fueled rout knocked roughly $9 billion off RELX’s market cap in just one day, stoking fears among investors that fresh AI entrants might disrupt legal and data processes before established players have a shot to catch up.
RELX, for its part, addressed the issue directly. The company reported that law firm and corporate legal segments kept up double-digit growth, crediting its AI-powered Lexis+ with Protégé for the momentum. Rob Hales at Morningstar called Thursday’s update “no surprises,” except for a handful of exhibition events in the Middle East that were pushed back. Relx
RELX pointed to ongoing strength in its Risk segment, highlighting continued demand across financial crime compliance, digital fraud and identity tools, and insurance products, with robust new sales adding to the mix. The company reiterated its outlook for underlying growth—that is, excluding deals, disposals, print, and certain timing swings—and said profit should again outpace revenue gains.
Scientific, Technical & Medical continued to show gains, according to the company, citing demand for higher-value databases, tools, and a surge in article submissions. Exhibitions came with a notable asterisk: several Middle East events were pushed back. Still, RELX maintained its outlook for robust revenue growth and margin improvement this year.
Another buyback move from RELX: the company announced a fresh pre-set repurchase programme, kicking off April 23 and running through May 22, with J.P. Morgan taking the reins. This comes straight after wrapping up a previous £350 million tranche on April 22. Both tranches are part of RELX’s £2.25 billion buyback plan, first mapped out alongside its February results.
Investors gave strong approval to the package: every one of the 21 resolutions sailed through at Thursday’s AGM. The final 48 pence dividend and fresh buyback authorization were both cleared, with 99.67% voting in favor, according to a filing.
RELX entered the latest update already on firm footing. Back in February, the company posted 2025 revenue of £9.59 billion, with underlying growth running at 7%. Adjusted operating profit landed at £3.34 billion, and adjusted earnings per share climbed 10% at constant currency—which removes the impact of shifts in exchange rates. Chief Executive Erik Engstrom, at the time, said AI has “for well over a decade” been fueling both customer value and business growth. Relx
Thomson Reuters, too, is pushing a similar argument. Back in February, the company announced its CoCounsel assistant had hit 1 million users, with Chief Executive Steve Hasker insisting, “substance matters more than hype”—his point being that proprietary legal content continues to set established players apart. Reuters
Even so, RELX hasn’t entirely convinced investors yet. The company still needs to prove that its AI-driven legal business can deliver lasting pricing strength, and that the exhibitions stumble doesn’t widen. Reuters Breakingviews flagged that, according to UBS analysts, most of RELX’s revenue is seen as relatively insulated from recent AI model advances.
July 23 is when RELX is up with its first-half numbers. That’s when investors should get a clearer signal—does the strong start to 2026 have staying power?
