Relx reports 7% underlying revenue growth as AI tools drive gains

source:

[1] Relx H1 Earnings Call Highlights (https://www.marketbeat.com/instant-alerts/rel ...)[2] Relx eyes year of strong growth as half-year profit and sales climb (https://shareprices.com/news/relx-eyes-year-o ...)[3] RELX's growth accelerates in scientific and legal units (https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/rel ...)[4] Oil prices jump as US strikes Iran for 11th consecutive night (https://www.sharecast.com/news/commodities/oi ...)

Related News

Jul 23 2026, 11:09

SPX Technologies buys Neptronic for $430M in HVAC push

SPX Technologies Inc. completed its acquisition of Neptronic Inc. for CA$605 million, or about US$430 million in cash, the company said Wednesday, adding intelligent controls and thermal management products to its HVAC portfolio. "We are excited to welcome Neptronic to the SPX Technologies team," said Gene Lowe, president and chief executive officer of SPX Technologies. "Neptronic's differentiated controls and thermal management solutions are highly complementary to our existing portfolio and further advance our HVAC growth strategy." The enterprise value-to-EBITDA multiple on the deal sits modestly above the upper end of SPX's recently transacted range of 8 to 12 times, the company said. Neptronic, based in Montreal, generates about US$75 million in annual revenue from its 300 employees and operates from a 93,000-square-foot integrated facility. The company designs and manufactures intelligent controls, electric duct heaters, humidifiers, actuators and actuated valves, serving original equipment manufacturers and channel partners focused on data centers, healthcare and education. The acquisition expands SPX's position in precision thermal management, a segment benefiting from rising demand for data center cooling and energy-efficient building systems. Neptronic's technology platform advances SPX's push toward controls-enabled HVAC solutions that can be sold across its global footprint. SPX, which operates in 16 countries from its Charlotte, North Carolina headquarters, plans to provide updated 2026 guidance incorporating Neptronic on July 30, when it reports second-quarter results. "Joining SPX Technologies represents an exciting opportunity for Neptronic," said Biagio Di Lorenzo, chief financial officer and president of Neptronic. "SPX's scale, operational resources and strong channel relationships in the HVAC market will help accelerate our growth while preserving the engineering expertise, innovation and customer focus that have defined our business for nearly 50 years." SPX intends to expand Neptronic's channel access and customer reach while providing capital and operational resources to scale the business. Neptronic's solutions are expected to be leveraged across the broader SPX HVAC portfolio, enabling more integrated offerings for customers globally. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Jul 23 2026, 11:08

Johnson faces Senate as CFPB overhaul costs consumers $26.5 billion

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, an agency the Trump administration tried to shutter, faces a defining moment Thursday as senators weigh the nomination of Capital One executive Brian Johnson to lead it — a choice that will determine whether the deregulatory push continues or reverses course. "Mr. Johnson's ties to Capital One raise serious questions about whether he can independently oversee an agency that dropped a lawsuit against his employer just months ago," Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, the ranking Democrat on the Banking Committee, said in a letter last month to Capital One Chief Executive Officer Richard Fairbank. Johnson, who served as the CFPB's deputy director from 2018 to 2020 before joining Capital One as a vice president and U.S. card compliance officer in November 2024, has pledged to recuse himself from any matters involving the bank for two years if confirmed. He also agreed to forfeit unvested restricted stock units and divest Capital One stock within 90 days, according to an ethics agreement signed last week. The nomination comes as the CFPB, under acting director Russ Vought, has slashed enforcement actions, rescinded Biden-era fee rules and cut staffing to 1,071 employees. A report by Senate Banking Committee Democrats released Thursday estimates the overhaul has cost consumers $26.5 billion, including $15 billion from the elimination of an $8 cap on credit card late fees and $7.5 billion from the rollback of a rule limiting overdraft charges to $5. Vought, who also serves as director of the Office of Management and Budget, told the Senate Banking Committee on Thursday that the agency he took over in February was "weaponized, out of control, and had gone far beyond its statutory mandate." He said the bureau has shifted toward "operating with humility, accountability and fiscal responsibility" and argued the CFPB "remains structurally defective" because it is funded through the Federal Reserve rather than congressional appropriations. The CFPB under Vought has dropped more than three dozen enforcement actions and settlements, including a January 2025 lawsuit against Capital One that alleged the bank obscured a savings account offering higher interest rates. The agency also reversed a $95 million order requiring Navy Federal Credit Union to pay consumer redress, though the credit union paid a $15 million civil penalty. Republicans on the Banking Committee have largely backed Vought's approach. Chairman Tim Scott of South Carolina said the bureau under previous leadership pursued "an ideological agenda" and that "the best way to protect consumers is through competition, choice and clear rules, not through heavy-handed Washington control." The last time the CFPB underwent a leadership transition of this magnitude was in 2021, when President Joe Biden's appointee Rohit Chopra took over and rapidly expanded enforcement, returning more than $21 billion to consumers over the agency's 14-year history. The contrast between Chopra's aggressive approach and Vought's dismantling strategy shows the stakes of Johnson's confirmation. **A $26.5 Billion Consumer Toll** The Democratic report breaks down the $26.5 billion figure into three components: $15 billion from the credit card late fee rule rescission, which the CFPB had projected would save consumers $10 billion annually; $7.5 billion from the overdraft rule rollback, estimated to return $5 billion a year to consumers; and roughly $4 billion from dropped enforcement actions that would have sent payments to harmed consumers. **What Comes Next** Vought's term as acting director expires Aug. 1. If confirmed, Johnson would inherit an agency that has been dramatically reduced in scope and headcount. His confirmation hearing Thursday will test whether Democrats can block or delay the nomination, and whether Republicans will press him on his plans for the bureau's future. The CFPB has returned $21 billion to consumers since its 2011 founding, according to the Democratic report. Whether that trajectory continues — or reverses — depends on the outcome of Thursday's hearing and the Senate vote that follows. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.

Jul 23 2026, 11:07

QatarEnergy extends LNG force majeure through mid-October as Strait stays shut

**QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on LNG supplies to Asian buyers and is leasing out tankers through mid-October, as the Strait of Hormuz remains closed with no end in sight.** QatarEnergy extended force majeure on LNG deliveries to Asian buyers through mid-September and is leasing out tankers into October, as the Strait of Hormuz closure halts about a fifth of global LNG trade. "The willingness to fix vessels as rates declined suggests Qatar is prioritizing fleet utilization over waiting for a market recovery," said Ikram Elloumi, director of research at Wood Mackenzie. Three trade sources said QatarEnergy has extended force majeure on LNG supplies to buyers in South Korea and India, with notices that had been due to expire in August and early September now pushed to mid-September. Two other sources expect the extension to possibly last until October. At least nine LNG carriers controlled by QatarEnergy entities have been sub-chartered to third parties including Chevron, BP, EnBW, Cheniere, Kansai, SOCAR, LMCS and Trafigura, according to shipbrokers and Wood Mackenzie data. Qatar accounts for about 20% of global LNG exports, all of which transit the Strait of Hormuz, where shipping has ground to a near-halt after renewed Iranian attacks on tankers this month. A prolonged outage would tighten supplies and push up prices for Asian buyers heading into the northern hemisphere winter, while Europe and Asia compete for available cargoes from the US, Australia and Russia. **Tanker Fleet Signals Extended Disruption** QatarEnergy entities QatarEnergy LNG Marketing and QatarEnergy Trading have offered some of their LNG tankers for lease through October on spot deals lasting 30 to 90 days, according to two shipbrokers. The company operates a fleet of nearly 70 LNG carriers. The sub-chartering comes despite falling freight rates in a rapidly weakening LNG freight market, Elloumi said. The last time QatarEnergy faced a prolonged supply disruption was during the 2017-2021 diplomatic rift with Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain, when the country's LNG exports were rerouted but never halted. The current closure of the Strait of Hormuz represents a more severe logistical challenge, as all Qatari LNG must pass through the waterway. **Market Impact and Forward Outlook** Gas prices in both European and Asian markets have risen this week after the US and Iran dismissed the possibility of immediate peace negotiations. Asian spot LNG prices have climbed as buyers scramble to secure alternative cargoes ahead of winter, when heating demand typically peaks. The extended force majeure could push Asian spot LNG prices higher in the coming months, as South Korea, Japan and India — three of Qatar's largest customers — compete with European buyers for a shrinking pool of available supply. Japan's LNG imports from Qatar accounted for about 8% of its total last year, while India relies on Qatari LNG for roughly 12% of its gas consumption. This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.