Relx (NYSE:RELX) Hits New 1-Year High - Should You Buy?

Relx Plc (NYSE:RELX - Get Free Report) shares hit a new 52-week high during trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as high as $53.61 and last traded at $53.68, with a volume of 39881 shares. The stock had previously closed at $53.36.

Analyst Ratings Changes

RELX has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Barclays raised Relx from an "equal weight" rating to an "overweight" rating in a report on Friday, March 14th. StockNews.com lowered Relx from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Tuesday, March 4th. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Relx in a research report on Wednesday, April 16th. Redburn Atlantic assumed coverage on Relx in a research report on Wednesday, January 8th. They set a "buy" rating on the stock. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Relx in a report on Wednesday, March 26th. They issued a "buy" rating for the company. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Relx has a consensus rating of "Buy".

Relx Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.46, a quick ratio of 0.47 and a current ratio of 0.52. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $49.86 and its 200-day simple moving average is $48.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $100.10 billion, a PE ratio of 29.08, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.73 and a beta of 0.84.

Relx Increases Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a semi-annual dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Friday, May 9th will be paid a $0.5586 dividend. This is an increase from Relx's previous semi-annual dividend of $0.23. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 9th. This represents a yield of 1.6%. Relx's payout ratio is presently 59.68%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Relx

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of RELX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Relx by 14.6% in the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 826,481 shares of the technology company's stock worth $39,225,000 after buying an additional 104,999 shares during the last quarter. LGT Group Foundation bought a new stake in Relx during the fourth quarter worth approximately $257,000. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC increased its stake in Relx by 17.1% during the fourth quarter. Paradigm Asset Management Co. LLC now owns 81,600 shares of the technology company's stock worth $3,706,000 after acquiring an additional 11,900 shares during the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its position in Relx by 120.3% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 12,066 shares of the technology company's stock valued at $548,000 after purchasing an additional 6,588 shares during the period. Finally, Merit Financial Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of Relx in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $301,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 15.02% of the company's stock.

About Relx

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.