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LEE Enterprises, Inc (LEE) stock

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NASDAQ: LEE Nasdaq Publishing Next results ~November 5, 2026

D Fundamentals grade

LEE Enterprises, Inc is a US-listed company in the publishing industry. Its financial year ends in September.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Fair value per share

Under review: every model's value for LEE Enterprises, Inc is far from the share price, which usually points to a data problem (a merger, a share-count change, a one-off) rather than a bargain or a bubble.

Price vs value

Under review: our cash-flow value ($0.37) was left out of our combined valuation (it is 0.06x the share price, outside the 0.2-5x range we accept), so it can't be the basis of a rating. We'll show the comparison once resolved.

Who’s trading

What company insiders, investment funds and members of Congress have been doing with the stock, from their own filings.

  • Insiders2 buying, 2 selling60 purchases and 2 sales by directors and officers, last 12 monthsInsider trades
  • Funds30 adding, 12 cuttingOf 6 active managers that changed their stake, 2 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter LEE Enterprises files

Where LEE Enterprises stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to June 2026 was $517m, down 11.1% on a year earlier, a steeper fall than the 9.9% decline a quarter earlier. Free-cash-flow margin held at -0.1%. Operating margin widened to 4.0% from -1.2%. The diluted share count is up 99.6% on a year earlier, which dilutes existing holders. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades D. It passes 1 of our 5 financial-health checks.

Our model value for LEE Enterprises is under review, so past values are not shown until it is resolved.

Source: 10-Q filed August 7, 2026 on SEC EDGAR · Financials · Valuation

Written from the company's filings and our models when each quarter's report arrives. Figures in older notes are as published at the time. Not investment advice.

The Fundamentalytics view

Next results ~November 5, 2026 (estimated)

LEE Enterprises, Inc's trailing-twelve-month revenue fell 11.1% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of -0.1%. Where it lags: long-term debt as % of assets of 72.8% ranks 7 of 7 publishing companies we cover.

Our discounted-cash-flow model values the business at ~$0.4 per share in the base case (—–$6.4 across growth scenarios) — model values under stated assumptions, not a price target.

Current signal Results well short of expectations: Reported earnings per share missed the analysts' consensus estimate by 600% in the quarter to 2024-12-31.

Assembled from SEC-filed figures — the full workings are on this page and in our methodology. Observations, not recommendations.

Strengths

  • Margins widening. Operating margin is up 5.2 points on a year ago.

Things to watch

  • Results due soon. Results are expected around 5 November; the share price can move sharply on the day.
  • Revenue shrinking. Revenue fell 11.1% over the last 12 months.
  • Burning cash. Free cash flow was -0.1% of revenue over the last 12 months.
  • Share dilution. Diluted shares rose 99.6% in a year.
  • Volatile shares. Over the past year the shares showed annualised volatility of 78% and a beta of 0.4 against the S&P 500.
  • Below peers: long-term debt as % of assets. Long-term debt as % of assets of 72.8% ranks 7 of 7 publishing companies we cover (median 12.8%).

Latest results: FY2026 Q3

Filed August 7, 2026
Earnings per share
-$2.80 against an average estimate of -$0.40: missed by 600.0%
Revenue
$126m, down 10.8% on a year earlier
Share reaction
+2.8% in the first session after the results on August 6, 2026, against +0.5% for the S&P 500
Guidance given
adjusted EBITDA growth 22% to 28% (2026 Fiscal Year Outlook); capital expenditures $7m (FY26)
Next report
August 6, 2026

LEE Enterprises' figures from its SEC filings and results release; estimates are the analysts' average. Not a recommendation.

Price chart

  • 1 day-1.8%
  • 1 week-2.6%
  • 1 month-10.4%
  • This year+25.5%
  • 1 year+42.1%
  • 5 years-70.7%
  • S&P 500 this year+11.2%

Closing prices to 2026-11-02. Price change only, dividends excluded.

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

At a glance

Trailing twelve months, from SEC filings

Profitability

Revenue (TTM)
$517M
Operating margin
4.0%
Net margin
-1.8%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$-0.79

Growth

Revenue growth
−11.1%
Change in growth rate
−1.2 pts
Share count change
+99.6%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
-$578,000
FCF margin
-0.1%
Stock pay % of revenue
0.2%

Earnings

Last results
August 6, 2026
Next results (est.)
November 5, 2026

News & updates

Updated October 31, 2026

Company announcements, filed results and changes that matter to shareholders.

  1. Agreement
  2. Leadership
  3. Leadership
  4. Results
  5. Guidance
  6. Leadership
  7. Agreement
  8. Leadership

Refreshed hourly when new source data is available. Summaries are checked against company releases and SEC filings. Company announcement headlines are labelled when a checked summary is unavailable.

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03

Not rated: held for review: our cash-flow value ($0.37) was left out of our combined valuation (it is 0.06x the share price, outside the 0.2-5x range we accept), so it can't be the basis of a rating.

Our value per share comes from a discounted-cash-flow model of LEE Enterprises, Inc's free cash flow after stock-based pay ( $21.8M, FY2026 Q3 TTM, with after-tax interest added back): growth for five years as below (the first two years from forecasts, guidance and the company's record), fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%, then cash added and debt and other claims subtracted. These are model values under stated assumptions, not price targets or recommendations.

The inputs used by the models below have passed source checks. Individual model values are available below and in the interactive valuator. Their differences are shown explicitly; the platform combined value and recommendation remain withheld.

Valuation models

We value LEE Enterprises, Inc as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 8.6%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 0.82 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Cash-flow model (DCF) Free cash flow to the firm (after stock pay, with after-tax interest added back), grown then faded to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5% as the firm rate, less debt and other claims. ~$0.4 Left out: out of range vs price (0.06x)
Price-to-earnings vs peers Earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) price-to-earnings. — Does not apply: This model is withheld pending its input or assumption review.
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. — Does not apply: This model is withheld pending its input or assumption review.
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. — Does not apply: This model is withheld pending its input or assumption review.
Combined value Individual source-checked model scenarios are available. The platform combined value and recommendation remain withheld. — Combined value withheld. Review the individual models and their assumptions.

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare LEE Enterprises, Inc with Publishing in our coverage, using third-party market data. Model values are estimates under stated assumptions, updated as new filings arrive; not price targets or investment advice. How each model works.

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

LEE Enterprises, Inc: market value and multiples by fiscal year
At fiscal year end 2016201720182019202020212022202320242025Now
Share price$37.20$21.00$26.50$20.10$8.20$23.74$17.01$10.99$8.79$5.66$6.01
Market value$403m$233m$297m$229m$93m$277m$197m$129m$104m$69m$73m
+ Net debt (− = net cash)$600m$538m$479m$435m$505m$457m$446m$441m$436m$445m$395m
Enterprise value$1.0bn$770m$776m$664m$598m$733m$643m$570m$541m$514m$468m
Multiples
Price / sales 0.7x0.4x0.5x0.4x0.2x0.3x0.3x0.2x0.2x0.1x0.1x
Price / earnings 11.5x8.5x6.5x16.0x—12.2x—————
Price / free cash flow 5.6x3.4x5.6x4.4x2.2x6.5x—————
EV / EBITDA 6.8x5.9x6.6x6.4x6.9x7.4x10.5x8.4x16.8x36.2x13.3x

Market value uses the period's diluted share count; figures for each fiscal year use that year's results and the price at year end. "Now" uses today's price and the last twelve months.

Moat

7 /100

Weak moat

How hard LEE Enterprises's competitive advantage looks for rivals to wear away, judged from 10 years of its own filings: returns on capital, pricing power, profit durability, cash conversion and discipline.

  • Returns on capital 0 / 20

    Net income has been a median 0.6% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Durability 0 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median 5.8%; its worst year was -1.2%.

  • Cash conversion 8 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 6 of 10 years, at a median 3.1% of revenue.

  • Discipline 10 / 20

    The diluted share count rose 114.4% over five years; stock-based pay has been a median 0.2% of revenue.

AI disruption exposure: High. In this industry, the core product is information work that AI systems increasingly perform. The score above includes a 15-point deduction for that exposure (22 before it).

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Forecasts and guidance

Analysts' consensus

No analyst estimates are published for LEE Enterprises, Inc: too few analysts cover it.

Earnings against estimates

LEE Enterprises, Inc: reported EPS against the consensus estimate
Quarter toEstimateActualSurprise
Dec 2024 −$0.40 −$2.80 −600.0%
Sept 2024 $0.65 −$1.69 −360.0%
Jun 2024 $0.68 −$0.73 −207.4%

Adjusted EPS as companies report it, against the average analyst estimate.

Management guidance

Earnings release, August 6, 2026
  • Adjusted EBITDA 2026 Fiscal Year Outlook 22% growth to 28% growth Non-GAAP Raised
    “Adjusted EBITDA 22% to 28% YOY growth” source
  • Capital expenditures FY26 —
    “We expect up to $7 million of capital expenditures in FY26.” source
  • Cash paid for income taxes FY26 $3m to $9m
    “We expect cash paid for income taxes to total between $3 million and $9 million in FY26.” source

Figures and quotations are management's, copied from the company's own press release (SEC 8-K exhibit) and checked word for word against it. Forward-looking statements are the company's expectations, not ours and not advice; guidance can change or be missed.

Positioning

Short interest
7.5%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
12.99
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
−7%
to October 15, 2026
Held by institutions
21%
of shares
Held by insiders
72.9%
of shares
Employees
2,230
full time

Consensus figures average analysts' published estimates (third-party data); guidance is the company's own. Neither is our forecast. Short interest is reported twice a month and lags. Market data may be delayed.

This section is general information, not investment advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take account of your objectives or circumstances. Forecasts and guidance are estimates, not promises: companies miss their own guidance and analysts' figures are often revised. Prices can fall as well as rise, and you can lose money. See our disclaimer.

Share-price performance

Market data may be delayed

Return and risk by year

LEE Enterprises, Inc: yearly return, monthly win rate and worst fall against the S&P 500
Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
LEE+174%−46%−58%+88%−68%+26%
Industry peers (median)+15%−31%+16%+28%−1%+15%
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
LEE58%33%33%33%33%36%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
LEE−49%−64%−66%−50%−77%−49%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since November 2, 2015: 92% from January 11, 2022 to December 17, 2025. Getting back needed a 1171% gain, and the shares have not yet recovered.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$3.40 – $11.76
From 52-week high
−48.9%
vs 50-day average
−16.1%
vs 200-day average
−24.9%
Volatility (1 year)
78%
Beta vs S&P 500
0.42

Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of daily returns. Beta 1.5 means the shares typically moved 1.5% for each 1% move in the S&P 500 over the past year. Prices to November 2, 2026.

Share price after results

Next day
2 up, 10 down
typical move ±5.5%
After a week
1 up, 11 down
typical move ±7.7%
After a month
3 up, 9 down
typical move ±15.8%
LEE Enterprises, Inc: share-price change after each results release
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
August 6, 2026 +2.8% +0.5% +1.9% +2.0%
May 7, 2026 −2.1% +0.5% −3.7% +31.0%
November 26, 2025 −9.2% +1.2% −11.3% −14.3%
August 8, 2025 −7.2% +0.6% −2.0% −4.9%
May 9, 2025 −4.5% +3.2% −4.6% −15.4%
February 7, 2025 −4.1% −0.2% −7.0% −33.0%
December 12, 2024 −2.9% −0.5% −10.0% −21.5%
August 1, 2024 −5.2% −3.3% −7.1% −10.4%
May 2, 2024 +0.3% +2.2% −0.2% +1.6%
February 1, 2024 −7.8% +2.4% −9.7% −13.1%
December 7, 2023 −12.5% +1.2% −20.5% −25.7%
August 3, 2023 −7.8% −0.7% −14.6% −16.8%

From the close before the release date to the close 1, 5 and 21 trading days after it, so releases before the open and after the close are both captured. Past moves don't predict future ones.

LEE Enterprises, Inc in five measures

Fundamentals grade D
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet

Growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet are percentiles against the companies we cover in the same industry, from SEC filings (100 = best). Value compares the share price with our modelled value range (50 = at our base value; higher = cheaper). A description of reported data and our model — not a quality score or advice.

Fundamentals

Revenue (TTM) LEE Enterprises, Inc
$500M $550M $600M $650M $700M FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q4: $691.1M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q1: $661.7M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q2: $637.5M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $616.8M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $611.4M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $600.3M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $591.1M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $581.8M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $562.3M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $547.8M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $532.4M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q3: $517.1M $517.1M

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY23 Q4 $691.1M
FY24 Q1 $661.7M
FY24 Q2 $637.5M
FY24 Q3 $616.8M
FY24 Q4 $611.4M
FY25 Q1 $600.3M
FY25 Q2 $591.1M
FY25 Q3 $581.8M
FY25 Q4 $562.3M
FY26 Q1 $547.8M
FY26 Q2 $532.4M
FY26 Q3 $517.1M
Revenue growth, TTM YoY LEE Enterprises, Inc
-15% -10% -5% 0% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q4: -11.5% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q1: -13.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q2: -14.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: -14.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: -11.5% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: -9.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: -7.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: -5.7% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: -8.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: -8.7% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: -9.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q3: -11.1% -11.1%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY23 Q4 -11.5%
FY24 Q1 -13.4%
FY24 Q2 -14.4%
FY24 Q3 -14.4%
FY24 Q4 -11.5%
FY25 Q1 -9.3%
FY25 Q2 -7.3%
FY25 Q3 -5.7%
FY25 Q4 -8.0%
FY26 Q1 -8.7%
FY26 Q2 -9.9%
FY26 Q3 -11.1%
Operating margin (TTM) LEE Enterprises, Inc
-2% 0% 2% 4% 6% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 5.4% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 5.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 4.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 3.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 0.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: -1.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: -1.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: -1.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: -0.8% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 0.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 3.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: 4.0% 4.0%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY23 Q4 5.4%
FY24 Q1 5.1%
FY24 Q2 4.1%
FY24 Q3 3.1%
FY24 Q4 0.7%
FY25 Q1 -1.1%
FY25 Q2 -1.1%
FY25 Q3 -1.2%
FY25 Q4 -0.8%
FY26 Q1 0.7%
FY26 Q2 3.2%
FY26 Q3 4.0%
FCF margin (TTM) LEE Enterprises, Inc
-4% -2% 0% 2% FY23 Q4 FY24 Q3 FY25 Q2 FY26 Q3 FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: -1.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: -0.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: -1.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: -1.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: -1.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: -2.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: -3.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: -1.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: -1.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 1.0% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 0.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q3: -0.1% -0.1%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY23 Q4 -1.2%
FY24 Q1 -0.9%
FY24 Q2 -1.1%
FY24 Q3 -1.3%
FY24 Q4 -1.3%
FY25 Q1 -2.7%
FY25 Q2 -3.3%
FY25 Q3 -1.0%
FY25 Q4 -1.3%
FY26 Q1 1.0%
FY26 Q2 0.2%
FY26 Q3 -0.1%

Data: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (as filed in 10-K/10-Q); forms 10-K, 10-K/A, 10-Q. Generated November 3, 2026. Definitions in our methodology.

Financial statements

US$ millions unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

LEE Enterprises, Inc: annual financial statements
Fiscal year 2009 Sept 2009 2010 Sept 2010 2011 Sept 2011 2012 Sept 2012 2013 Sept 2013 2014 Sept 2014 2015 Sept 2015 2016 Sept 2016 2017 Sept 2017 2018 Sept 2018 2019 Sept 2019 2020 Sept 2020 2021 Sept 2021 2022 Sept 2022 2023 Sept 2023 2024 Sept 2024 2025 Sept 2025 LTM Jun 2026
Income
Revenue 842 748 723 707 678 661 649 614 567 544 510 618 795 781 691 611 562 517
EBITDA −94 221 −31 169 −2 162 155 147 130 117 104 86 99 61 68 32 14 35
Operating income −173 149 −101 103 −57 113 109 104 89 86 75 50 57 25 37 5 −5 21
Net income −123 46 −147 −17 −78 7 23 35 27 46 14 −2 23 −2 −5 −26 −38 −9
Diluted EPS −$1.39 $5.15 −$16.35 −$1.70 −$7.55 $0.65 $2.15 $3.20 $2.50 $4.10 $1.25 −$0.17 $1.95 −$0.17 −$0.45 −$2.17 −$3.10 −$0.79
Growth (year on year)
Revenue — −11.1% −3.4% −2.3% −4.1% −2.5% −1.9% −5.3% −7.7% −4.1% −6.3% +21.2% +28.6% −1.7% −11.5% −11.5% −8.0% −11.1%
EBITDA — — −114.2% — −101.0% — −4.2% −4.8% −11.5% −9.9% −11.4% −17.0% +15.0% −38.2% +10.4% −52.6% −55.9% +141.8%
Operating income — — −167.7% — −155.4% — −3.4% −4.9% −14.3% −3.9% −12.8% −32.7% +12.5% −56.1% +49.6% −87.8% — —
Net income — — −418.6% — — — — +49.9% −21.4% +66.5% −68.8% −113.8% — −108.9% — — — —
Diluted EPS — — −417.5% — — — — +48.8% −21.9% +64.0% −69.4% −113.9% — −109.0% — — — —
Margins
EBITDA margin −11.1% 29.5% −4.3% 23.8% −0.2% 24.5% 23.9% 24.0% 23.0% 21.6% 20.4% 14.0% 12.5% 7.9% 9.8% 5.3% 2.5% 6.8%
Operating margin −20.6% 19.9% −14.0% 14.6% −8.5% 17.1% 16.9% 16.9% 15.7% 15.8% 14.7% 8.1% 7.1% 3.2% 5.4% 0.7% −0.8% 4.0%
Net margin −14.6% 6.2% −20.3% −2.4% −11.6% 1.0% 3.6% 5.7% 4.8% 8.4% 2.8% −0.3% 2.9% −0.3% −0.8% −4.2% −6.7% −1.8%
Free-cash-flow margin 7.4% 12.7% 12.9% 10.2% 11.9% 10.4% 10.0% 11.7% 12.0% 9.8% 10.2% 6.8% 5.4% −0.6% −1.2% −1.3% −1.3% −0.1%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 74 104 101 80 90 82 74 79 72 59 58 50 50 3 −3 1 −6 −0
Capital spending 12 9 7 8 10 14 10 7 4 6 6 8 7 8 5 9 2 0
Free cash flow 63 95 93 72 80 68 65 72 68 53 52 42 43 −5 −8 −8 −7 −1
Stock-based pay 3 2 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 1
Free cash flow after stock pay 59 93 92 71 79 67 63 70 66 51 50 40 42 −6 −10 −10 −9 −2
Balance sheet
Cash 8 19 24 18 18 17 11 17 11 5 9 34 26 16 15 10 10 59
Total debt 0 1,082 995 932 839 805 726 617 548 485 444 538 483 463 456 446 455 455
Net debt (negative = net cash) −8 1,063 971 914 822 788 715 600 538 479 435 505 457 446 441 436 445 395
Diluted shares — 9m 9m 10m 10m 11m 11m 11m 11m 11m 11m 11m 12m 12m 12m 12m 12m 12m
Returned to shareholders
Dividends 9 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —
Total returned 9 0 0 — — — — — — — — — — — — — — —

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (US and foreign periodic filings); column headings link to the filing. EBITDA is operating income plus depreciation and amortisation. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Growth is left blank when last year's figure was a loss or under 2% of revenue. Share counts and EPS are restated for stock splits. A dash means the company didn't report the figure.

Financial health

1 of 5 checks passed · June 28, 2026
What it owns · $625m
Short-term assets $121mLonger-term assets $503m
What it owes, and who funded it · $625m
Short-term liabilities $104mLonger-term liabilities $521mShareholders' equity $-2m
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $121m of assets due within a year against $104m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities $121m short-term assets against $521m of longer-dated liabilities.
  • More cash than debt $59m of cash against $455m of debt.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Equity or debt not reported. Not assessable.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Five-year comparison not available. Not assessable.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt −$167,000 of operating cash flow against $455m of debt.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Operating income of $21m against $34m of interest.

From LEE Enterprises, Inc's latest balance sheet as filed. Checks are fixed, documented rules (methodology), counted only where the company reports the figures — a dot means the filing doesn't break the item out. Descriptions of reported data, not advice.

Dividends, buybacks and capital spending

Diluted share count
+99.6%
year over year
Days sales outstanding
32 days
receivables vs revenue

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in publishing
Growth, margins and cash generation against peers
Last 12 months unless stated LEE SCHL WLY TDAY DJCO NYT Median
Revenue, last 12 months $517m $1.6bn $1.7bn $2.2bn $98m $3.0bn $1.6bn
Revenue growth, last 12 months −11.1% −2.5% −0.3% −6.7% 23.4% 10.8% −2.5%
Revenue growth, 3-year average −10.5% −2.0% −5.6% −7.2% 14.7% 8.0% −3.8%
Revenue growth, latest quarter −10.8% −3.9% −2.6% −8.3% 15.3% 11.2% −3.3%
Gross margin — 56.5% 74.6% 39.5% — 73.4% 58.3%
Operating margin 4.0% 1.0% 14.9% 0.7% 13.7% 16.0% 4.0%
Operating margin, 3-year average 2.0% 1.1% 11.2% 0.3% 10.0% 14.4% 6.0%
Net margin −1.8% 3.6% 11.9% −1.8% −11.6% 13.2% 3.6%
Cash from operations / revenue −0.0% 2.4% 17.4% 5.1% 17.9% 22.1% 5.1%
Free-cash-flow margin −0.1% −0.9% 14.4% 2.8% 17.7% 20.9% 2.8%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average −0.8% 2.4% 10.1% 2.2% 12.5% 17.3% 7.9%
Stock pay / revenue 0.2% 0.6% 1.2% 0.4% 0.2% 2.6% 0.5%
Change in share count 99.6% −15.7% −4.2% 19.8% 0.1% −0.6% 0.1%

Median of all 9 companies we cover in publishing. Shaded: best of the six on that line (lowest for stock pay and share-count growth). 3-year figures average the last three 12-month periods; 3-year growth is compound annual. Source: SEC filings.

Peer comparison

9 publishing companies
Measures ranked against peers
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth -11.1% -2.5% 8 of 9
Change in growth rate Growth -1.2pp +0.1pp 7 of 9
Operating margin Profitability 4.0% 4.0% 4 of 7
Net margin Profitability -1.8% 3.6% 7 of 9
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation -0.1% 2.8% 7 of 9
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 0.2% 0.6% 3 of 8
Long-term debt as % of assets Balance sheet 72.8% 12.8% 7 of 7
Change in share count Balance sheet 99.6% 0.0% 8 of 8
Days sales outstanding Balance sheet 32 days 43 days 3 of 9

Rank 1 = best in the group (for spending, debt and dilution, lower ranks first).

Where the revenue comes from

Fiscal year to September 28, 2025
Products and services
Line of business Revenue Share YoY
Subscriptions $258M 46.0% ▼ 8.3%
Advertising and Marketing Services $253M 45.0% ▼ 8.2%
Other $50.9M 9.1% ▼ 5.3%

From LEE Enterprises, Inc's 10-K filed November 26, 2025, as tagged in the filing. View filing. Indented rows are part of the line above; their share is of that line. In the bars, the faint bar behind is the year before.

Reported value
$40.4M
Institutions reporting
49
Shares held vs prior quarter
▲ 11.7%
Positions opened / closed
15 / 5

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 30 institutions bought and 12 sold ; the biggest buyer was Blackrock, Inc (+315K shares) and the biggest seller Solas Capital Management, LLC (−135K). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
Solas Capital Management, LLC $13.7M 1.5M 34.0% ▼ 8.0%
GAMCO Investors, Inc. Et Al $5.2M 585K 13.0% 0.0%
Blackrock, Inc. $3.3M 364K 8.1% ▲ 647.7%
Cannell Capital LLC $3.1M 344K 7.6% ▼ 20.5%
Private Advisor Group, LLC $3M 338K 7.5% ▲ 576.0%
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $2.5M 277K 6.1% ▲ 9.9%
Truist Financial Corp $2M 220K 4.9% 0.0%
Gabelli Funds LLC $2M 219K 4.9% 0.0%
Geode Capital Management, LLC $1.7M 188K 4.2% ▲ 75.3%
State Street Corp $488,768 55K 1.2% ▲ 117.8%
Northern Trust Corp $476,116 53K 1.2% ▲ 210.4%
Vanguard Fiduciary Trust Co $453,546 51K 1.1% ▲ 8.0%

From Form 13F filings with the SEC ( quarterly data sets), as reported by each manager for June 30, 2026 and filed up to 45 days later. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M only, so this is not LEE Enterprises, Inc's complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart
Recent insider open-market transactions
Insider Date Trade Shares Price Value
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 11, 2026 Buy 1,566 $9.82 $15,378
Moloney Herbert W Iii Director June 11, 2026 Sell 24,000 $9.82 $235,680
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 10, 2026 Buy 1,500 $10.47 $15,705
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 9, 2026 Buy 2,500 $10.80 $27,000
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 8, 2026 Buy 6,925 $10.86 $75,206
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 5, 2026 Buy 18,200 $10.85 $197,470
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 4, 2026 Buy 18,200 $11.08 $201,656
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 3, 2026 Buy 18,200 $10.58 $192,556
Hoffmann David Henry Director June 2, 2026 Buy 18,200 $10.90 $198,380
Hoffmann David Henry Director May 29, 2026 Buy 13,700 $11.74 $160,838
Hoffmann David Henry Director May 28, 2026 Buy 13,700 $10.54 $144,398
Hoffmann David Henry Director May 27, 2026 Buy 13,700 $10.05 $137,685

From insiders' Form 4 filings with the SEC. Excludes awards, option exercises and shares withheld for tax. "Pre-set plan" means the filing marks the trade as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. See every insider trade since five years ago, on a price chart.

Trades by members of Congress

All 15 trades and filings

No trades in LEE Enterprises, Inc disclosed in the last 12 months; 15 earlier trades on record.

  • Mo Brooks(R-AL 5):Sale (full), $1,001 - $15,000, traded January 22, 2021, filed January 26, 2021
  • Mo Brooks(R-AL 5):Sale (full), $1,001 - $15,000, traded January 22, 2021, filed January 26, 2021
  • Mo Brooks(R-AL 5):Purchase, $1,001 - $15,000, traded November 24, 2020, filed January 26, 2021

Value ranges as filed; reports can arrive up to 45 days after a trade.

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around November 5, 2026 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • August 6, 2026
  • May 7, 2026
  • November 26, 2025
  • August 8, 2025
  • May 9, 2025
  • February 7, 2025

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on LEE Enterprises, Inc was last updated.

DataLast updatedSource
Share priceExchange closing prices
Financial statementsSEC 10-K and 10-Q filings
News and updatesCompany releases and SEC 8-K filings
Analyst estimatesAggregated analyst estimates
Valuation and scoresOur models, from the filed figures

How we build and check these figures: methodology and data sources.

LEE Enterprises, Inc in brief

What does LEE Enterprises, Inc do?
LEE Enterprises, Inc is a US-listed company in the publishing industry. Its financial year ends in September.
What is LEE Enterprises, Inc's stock ticker?
LEE Enterprises, Inc trades under the ticker LEE on Nasdaq. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is LEE Enterprises, Inc's revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, LEE Enterprises, Inc reported revenue of $517M, 11.1% lower than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is LEE Enterprises, Inc's free cash flow?
LEE Enterprises, Inc's free-cash-flow margin is -0.1% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 7 of the 9 publishing companies we cover.
Who are LEE Enterprises, Inc's largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are Solas Capital Management, LLC, GAMCO Investors, Inc. Et Al and Blackrock, Inc. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
What is LEE Enterprises, Inc's market cap?
On November 2, 2026, LEE Enterprises, Inc's market capitalisation was about $72.6M and net debt of $395M. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
Who are LEE Enterprises, Inc's competitors?
In our Publishing peer group, the companies closest to LEE Enterprises, Inc are Scholastic Corp, John Wiley & Sons, Inc., USA Today Co., Inc., Daily Journal Corp and NEW York Times Co. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against LEE Enterprises, Inc's.
Are insiders buying or selling LEE Enterprises, Inc stock?
Over the last 12 months, LEE Enterprises, Inc's directors and officers reported 60 open-market purchases and 2 sales on Form 4. The insider trading page charts every trade.
When is LEE Enterprises, Inc's next earnings date?
Around November 5, 2026, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — LEE Enterprises, Inc announces its own schedule.