Key Highlights

● RELX's ADRs were at $40.76, up 4.14%, in an 8:23 a.m. ET pre-market snapshot.

● A news summary says underlying Revenue grew 7% and the full-year outlook was reaffirmed.

● The Legal division reportedly grew 10%, which may signal Demand for AI-powered offerings.

● Nasdaq-100 futures were down 2.6% while European media stocks rose about 2.5%.

RELX (NYSE:RELX)'s American depositary shares were among the stronger gainers before Friday's open. Market data showed them at $40.76, up 4.14%, in a pre-market movers snapshot updated at 8:23 a.m. ET.

The attached news summary ties the gain to RELX's nine-month trading update. It says underlying revenue grew 7%, the full-year outlook was reaffirmed, and the Legal division grew 10%. These auto-generated summaries may not be the direct cause of a price move. The company's own release was not available in the sources reviewed, so other divisional figures and management comments are not given here.

Why the Legal number stands out

RELX is the London-based group behind LexisNexis legal research, the Elsevier scientific journals and the ScienceDirect database. It also owns risk and analytics businesses that help insurers and banks with Fraud detection and Credit decisions, as well as a global exhibitions arm. Most of its revenue comes from subscriptions and transactions tied to data and analytics.

Investors have debated whether generative AI threatens information providers like RELX, or whether those companies can use their proprietary data to sell new AI-powered tools. Ten percent growth in Legal, the unit most directly exposed to AI-driven research and drafting products, would suggest customers are paying for RELX's AI offerings rather than replacing them. That interpretation depends on the full release, which was not reviewed.

A reaffirmed outlook is a modest message, but on a day of sharp guidance shocks elsewhere, predictability may be enough to draw buyers.

RELX's ADRs trade on the New York Stock Exchange and are included in the NYSE Composite. That index tracks all common stock on the Big Board, including foreign companies' depositary shares.

Media and data stocks buck the tech slide

The US setup is difficult for anything linked to technology. Market quotes at roughly 8 a.m. ET showed Nasdaq-100 futures down 2.6% and S&P 500 futures down 1.1%. Results from Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN) and Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) have revived fears that AI spending is outpacing returns. Dow futures were flat.

Europe has been more mixed. The Stoxx 600 was down about 0.3% at 9:29 a.m. GMT, according to market reports, with tech shares down about 2% but media stocks up about 2.5%. Universal Music Group jumped 11.2% on stronger streaming revenue. WPP (NYSE:WPP)'s ADRs were also up 3.56% in the 8:23 a.m. snapshot after its own trading update. Information and media names are having a better day than chipmakers.

Rates are also a tailwind for steady compounders. The 10-year Treasury Yield is about 4.94% to 4.99%, roughly 30 basis points lower in October after it topped 5.30% earlier in the month. Falling long-term yields tend to support the valuations of companies with predictable, long-dated cash flows.

RELX may be benefiting from investors favoring companies that earn steady subscription income from AI, rather than those that spend heavily to build it. That is an inference from the market pattern, not a stated reason.

Risks and what to watch

Valuation is a risk. Information-services stocks often trade at premium multiples, which leaves little room for disappointment. Competition from AI-native legal and research tools remains a long-term threat. Currency swings also affect US holders, since RELX reports in pounds.

After the 9:30 a.m. ET open, watch whether the ADRs hold their gain as US trading broadens. Look too for analyst notes on organic growth by division and on the pace of AI product adoption. RELX's full-year results, due early next year, will be the next major update.