RELX Reports Strong 2025 Results, Boosts Dividend, and Plans Substantial £2.25B Share Buyback for 2026
Summary
RELX PLC announced robust financial results for 2025, driven by strong underlying growth across all business segments, and provided a positive outlook for 2026, alongside a 7% dividend increase and a significant £2.25 billion share buyback program.
Key Events
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Strong 2025 Financial Performance
Achieved 7% underlying revenue growth, 9% underlying adjusted operating profit growth, and 10% constant currency adjusted EPS growth for the year ended 31 December 2025.
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Increased Shareholder Returns
Proposed a 7% increase in the full-year dividend to 67.5p and completed a £1.5 billion share buyback in 2025.
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Substantial 2026 Share Buyback Plan
Intends to deploy a total of £2.25 billion on share buybacks in 2026, with £250 million already completed, signaling strong confidence in the company's valuation.
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Positive 2026 Outlook
Expects another year of strong underlying growth in revenue, adjusted operating profit, and adjusted EPS on a constant currency basis.
Analysis
RELX PLC's annual results demonstrate robust operational strength and a clear commitment to shareholder value. The company's consistent underlying growth across all its information-based analytics and decision tools segments, particularly in Risk and Legal, underscores the success of its strategic shift towards higher-value offerings leveraging AI. The proposed 7% dividend increase signals confidence in future cash flows. Most notably, the planned £2.25 billion share buyback for 2026 represents a very substantial capital return to shareholders, following a £1.5 billion buyback in 2025. This aggressive buyback program, especially while the stock is trading near its 52-week low, suggests management believes the shares are undervalued and is a strong positive signal for investors. The positive outlook for continued strong growth in 2026 further reinforces the company's strong trajectory.
At the time of this filing, RELX was trading at $28.00 on NYSE in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $49.6B. The 52-week trading range was $27.57 to $56.33. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 9 out of 10.