RELX (REL) SHARES: 2025 PERFORMANCE IN UK, KEY DRIVERS, MILESTONES AND RISKS —'26 OUTLOOK

How did RELX (REL) shares perform in 2025 in the UK?

RELX PLC, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools, continued to demonstrate resilience and steady growth throughout 2025. Listed on the London Stock Exchange and part of the FTSE 100 index, RELX shares (ticker: REL) reflected the group’s strong fundamentals and continued digital transformation across its business segments.

Over the course of 2025, RELX shares appreciated by approximately 14%, outperforming the FTSE 100 index, which hovered around a 6–7% gain by year-end. The share price opened the year at £27.10 and closed December at around £30.90, touching a 52-week high of £31.40 in early November. This performance reflected positive investor sentiment amidst robust earnings and operational execution.

Financial highlights for 2025

• Revenue Growth: Reported revenues rose by 7% year-on-year to reach £9.3 billion, largely driven by strong performances across their Risk and Scientific, Technical & Medical (STM) segments.
• Operating Profit: Group operating profit was reported at £2.8 billion, up 8%, supported by higher digital subscription renewals and cost efficiencies in legacy operations.
• Earnings Per Share (EPS): Adjusted EPS climbed 9%, continuing RELX’s decade-long trend of consistent annual earnings growth.
• Dividend: The company declared a total dividend of 56.2p per share, up from 52.6p in 2024, reinforcing its shareholder return commitment.

UK performance and operational footprint

While RELX has a diversified global presence, the UK remains a critical market given its headquarters, regulatory links, and access to European institutions. In 2025, UK-specific operations contributed roughly 18% of overall revenues. RELX also strengthened its presence in British academia and regulatory institutions by expanding digital tools in its STM and legal segments.

Investor sentiment and institutional ownership

RELX is favoured by institutional investors due to its stable cash flow, recurring revenue model, and defensive positioning against macro uncertainty. Significant buying activity was observed from UK-based pension funds and insurance groups in Q2 and Q3 of 2025 as inflationary pressures waned and interest rates stabilised below 4%.

Retail investor interest also grew, partly supported by RELX’s increasing mention on UK financial forums and trading platforms such as HL and AJ Bell. The shares retained a low volatility beta of 0.75, aligning with its image as a dependable long-term compounder.

Strategic acquisitions and digital transformation

In June 2025, RELX completed the acquisition of US-based fintech analytics firm Verity Insight Group for £450 million. This addition fuelled growth in its Risk segment and reinforced its goal of integrating AI-powered tools across the portfolio. These strategic moves enhanced investor confidence in RELX’s ability to adapt and thrive amid sectoral shifts.

The company also made significant upgrades to its Elsevier platform, offering AI-curated scientific summaries for journals, an innovation well received by research communities in both the UK and EU.

What drove RELX’s growth and performance in 2025?

RELX’s robust 2025 performance can be credited to a combination of favourable industry trends, strategic investments, operational discipline, and growing demand for data and analytics services. The company’s ability to evolve from a traditional publishing business to a digital-first analytics company has been central to its success.

Digital subscription model and recurring revenue

Over 75% of RELX revenues in 2025 originated from digital or recurring services. This model offered enhanced predictability, weathering macroeconomic headwinds such as cautious industrial spending and volatility in global trade.

Key platforms such as LexisNexis Legal & Professional and Elsevier’s ScienceDirect saw increased monthly active users, with subscription retention rates climbing above 91% in both sectors. For British businesses and institutions, particularly within the legal, scientific, and healthcare industries, RELX platforms remained a staple in daily decision-making workflows.

Artificial intelligence and advanced analytics

Artificial intelligence was central to many 2025 product innovations. RELX integrated generative AI tools across customer-facing platforms to help users synthesise insights faster. Notably, law firms in the UK appreciated AI-supported legal reasoning tools deployed through Lexis+, which led to greater time savings and document accuracy.

Within the scientific segment, AI applications facilitated meta-analysis reviews for journal editors, reducing editorial turnaround times by 25%. These tools enhanced RELX's reputation for innovation, making the business increasingly valuable to institutions looking to automate research and decision processes.

Growth in risk and insurance analytics

RELX’s Risk segment surged in 2025, driven by the growing complexity in fraud prevention, regulatory compliance, and underwriting analytics. The firm’s data intelligence tools became vital for UK insurers and financial institutions navigating post-pandemic claim patterns and changing FCA requirements.

Clients reported faster due diligence processes and improved fraud detection outputs, particularly in life insurance and property underwriting, where RELX’s machine-learning models in the UK flagged up to 40% more anomalies than legacy methods.

M&A and portfolio expansion

RELX remained active on the M&A front. Besides its acquisition of Verity Insight Group, it invested directly in three AI start-ups across London and Oxford, creating an in-house innovation funnel for long-term product development. Each of these firms focused on niche applications in health diagnostics, academic peer review systems, and cyber-risk modelling.

Strong corporate governance and ESG performance

RELX maintained high ESG rankings, with upgraded scores from both Sustainalytics and MSCI due to its continued transparency in data ethics, carbon footprint control, and employee wellbeing. Notably, the group was added to the FTSE4Good Index in mid-2025, boosting its appeal among ESG-conscious investors in the UK.

Strategic priorities in the UK market

• Expanding its AI-driven Knowledge Graph programme at Cambridge and Leeds research clusters.
• Partnering with NHS Digital to offer real-world data analytics for public health use cases.
• Developing modular AI legal assistants for UK-specific compliance tasks by Q4 2026.

What are the key risks and 2026 watchpoints for RELX?

As RELX enters 2026, several themes and uncertainties could shape share performance and business momentum. While the firm's fundamentals remain strong, investors must remain alert to macro and sector-specific dynamics.

Key risks on the horizon

1. Implementation and ethical use of AI

While AI remains a core growth lever, it also presents substantial risk. Missteps in AI modelling, biased algorithms, or accidental breaches of privacy could tarnish RELX’s credibility — especially as clients increasingly rely on automated tools. UK regulators have hinted at stricter AI compliance guidelines by late 2026, which could lead to moderate operational costs and system upgrades.

2. Margin pressure in the Legal segment

The LexisNexis Legal business may face margin pressure as competition intensifies. New UK-based legaltech entrants have started offering modular, AI-driven applications with aggressive pricing models. RELX must continue innovating and enhancing customer support to maintain its dominant market share in the legal research and compliance space.

3. Macroeconomic headwinds and FX volatility

Currency fluctuations remain a risk given RELX’s international exposure. The British pound’s volatility in mid-2025 post-elections affected repatriated earnings. Though partially hedged, stronger USD/weak GBP dynamics could persist into 2026, potentially impacting net income in UK reporting terms.

4. Talent retention and innovation pipeline

As the company scales its AI and analytics businesses, talent acquisition remains critical. The competitive tech recruitment scene in London, Cambridge, and Edinburgh may constrain RELX’s plans if it fails to attract and retain top-tier developers and data scientists. Across 2025, the vacancy-to-filling ratio for AI roles in the UK exceeded 1:2, suggesting a talent bottleneck that may extend into 2026.

What to monitor in 2026

• AI Regulation: Watch UK Parliament and FCA updates around AI Ethics legislation.
• M&A Activity: Potential acquisitions in the cyber or medtech analytics space could be transformative.
• Dividend Policy: Potential shift to semi-annual payouts or enhanced share buybacks in line with excess cash generation.
• Scientific Product Adoption: Monitor institutional uptake of new peer review analysis tools and demand from UK universities amid tightening research budgets.
• Public sector contracts: RELX bids for large-scale analytics deals (e.g., NHS databases) could impact revenue trajectories by Q3 2026.

Final outlook for 2026

Looking forward, RELX enters 2026 with strong operational momentum and clear strategic direction. Barring external shocks, analysts’ consensus forecasts EPS growth between 8–10% for the year. With continued investment in AI, a robust digital pipeline, and defensible competitive moats across key UK industries, RELX is well-positioned — though not immune — to the evolving macroeconomic and regulatory landscape.