London, March 18, 2026, 14:06 GMT
Shares in RELX Plc slipped 1.44% to 2,594p at 1355 GMT on Wednesday, after 24 million shares changed hands overnight at 2,565 pence apiece.
This deal drops about £615.6 million worth of shares onto the market, right as RELX is in the middle of its own buyback. On Tuesday, RELX disclosed it had bought back 487,344 shares at an average price of 2,591.1464p. The stock sale went out via a bookbuild—a quick-fire institutional placing that’s typically priced below market.
Awkward timing for RELX. Investors remain undecided on whether generative AI spells trouble for the company’s legal and analytics units or opens up growth opportunities. After Anthropic rolled out its legal AI plug-in in February, RELX, along with Wolters Kluwer and Thomson Reuters, got caught up in the selloff.
Goldman Sachs handled the share sale for an unnamed institutional investor. The books cleared at 2,565p—a roughly 2.5% markdown from RELX’s last close of 2,632p. That discount falls in line with what’s typical for an overnight block trade.
RELX reported last month that its 2025 revenue climbed 7% to £9.59 billion, with adjusted operating profit up 9% to £3.342 billion. Chief Executive Erik Engstrom pointed to the “continued evolution of artificial intelligence” as a major long-term growth engine, saying it will drive results “for many years to come.” The company also outlined plans for £2.25 billion in share buybacks scheduled for 2026. Relx
Barclays’ Nick Dempsey isn’t joining the bears. He stuck with his Buy call on Tuesday, holding to a 3,075p price target. Morningstar’s Rob Hales, for his part, argued earlier this month that RELX, Thomson Reuters, and Wolters Kluwer are still undervalued—even with “heavy pessimism about the sector.” MarketScreener
Still, the late-night sale leaves the core question hanging over the stock. Should AI tools begin to replace workflow products instead of supporting them, the sector might get hit with fresh derating. February’s sharp drop spelled out how fast investors can markdown RELX and similar names once that risk comes into focus.
There was a notable split on Wednesday. RELX revealed it spent up to 2,633p per share during Tuesday’s buyback—higher than the 2,565p price in the placement. The move highlights how a major investor’s rush to sell can overpower the effects of a buyback, if only briefly.
