Relx Plc (NYSE:RELX) Shares Acquired by Lazard Asset Management LLC

Lazard Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Relx Plc (NYSE:RELX - Free Report) by 1.2% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The firm owned 4,224,334 shares of the technology company's stock after acquiring an additional 48,793 shares during the quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC owned about 0.23% of Relx worth $191,868,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the company. CENTRAL TRUST Co increased its holdings in Relx by 1,290.2% in the 4th quarter. CENTRAL TRUST Co now owns 570 shares of the technology company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 529 shares during the period. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Relx in the 4th quarter valued at $40,000. Sierra Ocean LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Relx in the fourth quarter worth $43,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. increased its stake in shares of Relx by 218.5% in the fourth quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 965 shares of the technology company's stock worth $44,000 after acquiring an additional 662 shares during the period. Finally, Private Trust Co. NA raised its holdings in shares of Relx by 19.2% during the fourth quarter. Private Trust Co. NA now owns 1,237 shares of the technology company's stock worth $56,000 after purchasing an additional 199 shares during the last quarter. 15.02% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several brokerages have weighed in on RELX. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an "overweight" rating on shares of Relx in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. StockNews.com downgraded Relx from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on shares of Relx in a research note on Wednesday, March 26th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, Barclays upgraded shares of Relx from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, March 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Relx has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Relx Price Performance

Relx stock traded up $1.03 during trading on Thursday, reaching $54.09. The company had a trading volume of 717,788 shares, compared to its average volume of 708,878. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $50.86 and its 200 day simple moving average is $48.80. Relx Plc has a 1-year low of $43.28 and a 1-year high of $55.21. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.11 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.86. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.52.

Relx Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Stockholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be given a $0.5586 dividend. This is a positive change from Relx's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, May 9th. This represents a dividend yield of 1.6%. Relx's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 59.68%.

Relx Company Profile

RELX Plc engages in provision of information and analytics solutions for professional and business customers across industries. It operates through the following business segments: Scientific, Technical & Medical; Risk & Business Analytics; Legal; and Exhibitions. The Scientific, Technical & Medical segment is a global information analytics business that helps institutions and professionals advance healthcare, open science, and improve performance for the benefit of humanity.