FTSE 100 data giant Rex has reported a jump in sales growth as demand for its AI-powered products continues to rise, defying fears that the technology could threaten its business.

The London-listed group, which owns legal research platform Lexisnexis, said on Thursday that underlying revenue rose seven per cent in the first nine months of 2026, with growth across all four divisions.

Its legal business led the gains, posting a 10 per cent rise in sales as law firms increased their use of AI-powered research tools.

Relx also maintained its full-year forecast, forecasting growth in revenue, profit and earnings per share.

The update comes after a volatile year for the £51bn group, whose shares have been caught in a wider sell-off of software and data businesses amid fears that AI could replace services they currently charge customers to use.

Earlier this year, RELX shares plunged after Anthropic unveiled new AI tools capable of automating legal work, raising concerns about the future of traditional research platforms.

The sell-off, dubbed the ‘SaaSpocalypse’, hit several London-listed software firms, including Sage, as investors questioned whether established providers could compete with increasingly sophisticated AI models.

But Relx has argued that its vast stores of specialist data give it an advantage over newer AI competitors, allowing it to build products that customers are willing to pay more for.

Thursday’s figures suggest demand remains strong, although the longer-term threat from AI rivals has yet to be tested.

AI drives growth across Relx

Relx’s risk division, which provides fraud detection, identity verification and financial crime services, reported eight per cent revenue growth.

Its scientific, technical and medical business grew six per cent, supported by demand for digital research tools and rising submissions to its academic journals.

The company said its recently-launched AI research platform, Leapspace, was seeing rapid growth in usage.

Meanwhile, its exhibitions division recorded four per cent growth, with disruption in the Middle East weighing on events.

The company expects profit growth to outpace revenue growth across its legal, risk and scientific divisions this year.

The latest update comes after Relx and rival Sage enjoyed a brief reprieve in September, when calls to slow the development of advanced AI models lifted shares in companies previously seen as vulnerable to disruption.