RELX vs Experian, side by side
Both are UK-listed companies that provide information and analytics rather than physical products, and both earn a lot from subscriptions that customers renew year after year. But they serve different markets. RELX supplies scientific, legal and risk information and analytics tools to businesses and professionals. Experian is best known as a credit bureau, holding data used to produce credit scores and reports, alongside other data services for lenders and companies.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and growth, and weakest on value.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and quality, and weakest on value.
The numbers, side by side
| Measure |  RELX PLC |  Experian plc |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £26.07 | £27.90 |
| Market cap: The company's total value on the stock market - share price times the number of shares. Big = 'large-cap', small = 'small-cap'. | £45.52B | £24.66B |
| P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 20.9 | 22.9 |
| Div yield: Dividend yield: the yearly dividend as a percentage of the share price - roughly the income you'd earn just from dividends. | 2.6% | 1.8% |
| Revenue growth | 2.7% | 12.3% |
| 1Y: How much the share price has moved over the past year. | -33% | -30% |
More measures
| Forward P/E: Price-to-earnings: the share price divided by yearly profit per share. Lower can mean cheaper; higher often means investors expect fast growth. | 16.6 | 16.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Net margin | 23.3% | 17.8% |
| ROE | 131.9% | 28.3% |
| Beta: How bumpy the share price is versus the whole market. Above 1 swings more than the market; below 1 is calmer. It's about the ride, not whether it goes up or down. | 0.26 | 0.83 |
The bolder figure is simply the larger of the two - higher is not automatically good (a higher P/E means more expectation in the price; a higher beta means bigger swings).
How they differ
RELX PLC is roughly 1.8x the size of Experian plc by market value. On our factor screen Experian plc currently screens higher on growth. Experian plc's shares have historically been the bumpier of the two (beta 0.83 vs 0.26).
Descriptive only - how the two compare on today's data, never a verdict on either.
RELX PLC, in one line
Ever read a scientific paper or looked up legal case notes? Chances are, this quietly massive British information titan helped power the search.
Read the full RELX PLC explainer →Experian plc, in one line
Experian is the global data giant that helps lenders decide who to trust with a loan and helps individuals keep an eye on their own credit scores.
Read the full Experian plc explainer →What to weigh
If dividend income matters to you, the yields differ (2.6% RELX PLC vs 1.8% Experian plc); and if sharp swings bother you, the betas differ (0.26 vs 0.83). These are facts to understand, not a verdict - read each full explainer before deciding anything.
Common questions
Are RELX and Experian in the same business?
They are cousins rather than twins. Both provide data-driven subscriptions and analytics, which is why both are often called quality-growth companies. RELX focuses on scientific, legal and risk information for professionals, while Experian centres on credit data - the scores and reports lenders use - plus related services for businesses.
Why are both seen as steady, subscription-led companies?
Because much of their income comes from customers who pay regularly and tend to renew, such as law firms, scientists, banks and lenders. That recurring revenue can make sales more predictable than one-off product sales. The data they hold is hard for rivals to copy, which is part of why investors watch them closely.