RELX reported 7% underlying revenue growth for the first nine months of 2026, maintaining its full-year outlook as demand for information-based analytics and decision tools continued to support the business.
In a trading statement dated 22 October, the group said its changing revenue mix towards higher-growth analytics products was sustaining momentum. Management expects further underlying growth in revenue and adjusted operating profit, together with strong adjusted earnings per share growth on a constant-currency basis. These are full-year expectations, not results for a period that has already ended.
RELX supplies specialist information and software across legal services, risk management, scientific research and other professional markets. Customers use its systems in workflows where access to reliable records, search tools and decision support can be integral to daily operations.
The group’s Risk division recorded 8% underlying revenue growth over the nine months, according to its update. Performance across other divisions differs because their customers, subscription cycles and exposure to transactions are not identical. A consolidated growth figure should therefore not be interpreted as indicating every RELX business grew at precisely the same rate.
The commercial model is increasingly focused on combining proprietary content and comprehensive data with advanced technology. RELX argues that these assets allow it to develop analytics products that are embedded in customers’ tasks rather than simply providing collections of documents or reference material.
For professional customers, the value of these tools depends on several factors. Data must be current, relevant and appropriately licensed. Results need to be sufficiently reliable to inform decisions, and software must fit established compliance and record-keeping processes. Interfaces that return quick answers but cannot demonstrate their evidential basis may be unsuitable for high-consequence work.
Artificial intelligence creates opportunities to improve retrieval, analysis and workflow automation, but it also raises competitive questions. Software developers can build attractive interfaces to public or licensed information, potentially changing the balance of value between the owner of a dataset and the operator of a customer-facing product.
RELX’s longstanding customer relationships and domain-specific content could help defend its position, although continued investment is needed to preserve product quality. The company has to balance product development costs, customer willingness to pay and the risk that automated tools alter demand for traditional research methods.
The shift towards analytics may also alter revenue predictability. Products integrated into regulated or specialised processes can be difficult to replace quickly, but customers will still scrutinise contract renewals and measure whether advanced functionality delivers savings or better decisions.
For employers and executives using professional information services, these developments are likely to appear first as changes to software subscriptions and procurement. Businesses may need to evaluate overlapping products, data quality and integration costs rather than assuming that each new AI feature adds measurable productivity.
RELX has not changed its overarching outlook in the October statement. The figures indicate continuing organic momentum, while the longer-term question is whether higher-value analytical products can sustain growth as technology changes how customers access information.
In the legal market, information services must also address increasingly demanding questions about confidentiality, professional judgement and the provenance of answers supplied by automated tools. Scientific users need accurate citation and research discovery, while risk clients may be concerned with identity, fraud and compliance checks. Each environment creates a different test for new product features. RELX can share technical capabilities across divisions, but it cannot assume that the evidence requirements or purchase decisions of a law firm will match those of a research institution or financial services organisation.
The company’s next full results will provide a fuller picture of profitability, cash generation and whether sustained demand is translating into earnings growth across its operations. The sustainability of that commercial position will be tested through customer renewals and product adoption.
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