Core Thesis - The bullish thesis on RELX PLC highlights its strong financial performance, robust growth in digital revenue, and strategic integration of AI tools, positioning the company as a reliable long-term investment opportunity [1][5]. Financial Performance - In 2024, RELX generated £9,434 million in revenue, reflecting a 7% underlying growth, with adjusted operating profit of £3,199 million (+10% underlying) and adjusted EPS of 120.1p (+9% at constant FX) [2]. - By H1-2025, revenue reached £4,741 million (+7% underlying) and adjusted operating profit was £1,652 million (+9%), with cash-flow conversion at 100% and net debt/EBITDA at 2.2x [3]. Business Model and Market Position - RELX operates as a critical provider of professional tools across various sectors, including science, law, risk analytics, and exhibitions, with digital and electronic revenue accounting for approximately 83% of total revenue [2]. - The company's competitive advantage lies in its proprietary datasets and its embedded position in workflow-critical spending, serving scientists, lawyers, and financial institutions [3][4]. Growth Drivers - Underlying growth in H1-2025 was broad-based across segments: Risk +8%, Legal +9%, STM +5%, and Exhibitions +8%, driven by analytics and AI integration [4]. - The integration of AI tools such as Lexis+ AI, Nexis+ AI, and ScienceDirect AI is enhancing decision-making and scaling the company's global operations [4]. Shareholder Returns - Management has executed £1.0 billion of a £1.5 billion buyback program, supporting shareholder returns alongside a 7% interim dividend increase [3]. - The company has delivered approximately +328% total shareholder return (TSR) under CEO Erik Engström's leadership, significantly outperforming the FTSE 100's +83% [4]. Future Outlook - Despite facing potential risks from AI monetization delays and pricing pressures, the combination of steady underlying growth, AI-driven workflow penetration, disciplined buybacks, and strong free cash flow positions RELX as a reliable long-term compounder [5]. - Sustaining approximately 10-12% EPS growth with modest leverage could generate 2-3x returns over a cycle, emphasizing the power of compounding and operational execution [5].

Core Insights - The global publishing giants have transitioned from digital transformation to a new phase centered on artificial intelligence (AI), cloud platforms, and open access, focusing on business intelligence and integrated solutions to reshape the value chain and create new business moats [1] Group 1: Financial Performance - RELX reported a revenue of £4.741 billion (approximately ¥45.695 billion) for the first half of 2025, with a potential year-on-year growth of 7% and an adjusted operating profit of £1.652 billion (approximately ¥15.903 billion), also showing a potential growth of 9% [6][7] - Wolters Kluwer achieved a revenue of €3.052 billion (approximately ¥25.419 billion) for the first half of 2025, with a potential year-on-year growth of 5% and an adjusted operating profit of €865 million (approximately ¥7.204 billion), reflecting a 14% increase [11] - Springer Nature's revenue for the first half of 2025 was €926 million (approximately ¥7.715 billion), with a potential year-on-year growth of 6.2% and an adjusted operating profit of €241 million (approximately ¥2.008 billion), showing a potential growth of 9.8% [16][17] - Taylor & Francis reported a revenue of £3.29 billion (approximately ¥31.69 billion) for the first half of 2025, with a potential year-on-year growth of 11.9% and an adjusted operating profit of £110 million (approximately ¥1.06 billion), reflecting a potential growth of 17.8% [18] - Wiley's revenue for Q1 of FY2026 was $397 million (approximately ¥2.699 billion), a decrease from the previous year, but with an operating profit of $31 million, showing a 7% year-on-year increase [20] Group 2: Strategic Focus and Innovations - RELX has completed its transition from traditional print to digital publishing, with print revenue now accounting for only 4% of total revenue, and is focusing on personalized customer needs [8] - Wolters Kluwer is emphasizing cloud-based expert solutions, with 59% of total revenue coming from expert solutions, and is integrating generative AI technology into its product platforms [12] - Springer Nature is leading in open access business, with a significant increase in the number of articles published in fully open access journals, and has completed nearly all contract renewals for 2025 [17] - Taylor & Francis is accelerating the application of AI technology in publishing, including translating books into English to reduce costs and enhance international dissemination [18] - Wiley is focusing on content licensing and AI model training, with a significant increase in AI-related revenue and partnerships with leading tech companies to enhance its AI capabilities [21][22]