Lee Enterprises, Incorporated

LEE

Publishing · Communication Services

Price

$8.18

-0.26 (-3.08%)

Market Cap

$181.8M

Winston Score

Winston is serious

Below-average fundamentals — multiple weak pillars.

Data as of Aug 23, 2026 · filings through Jun 28, 2026

How the score breaks down

Quality

Good

Growth

Mixed

Cash Flow

Weak

Stability

Weak

Valuation

Data not available

Dividends

Strong

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Share count rising — dilution

+4.9% over 4y

The company has issued more shares over this period, which dilutes each existing shareholder’s stake.

Diluted shares outstanding: 5.8M (2021) → 6.1M (2025)

Winston Score History

The full picture

Lee Enterprises is a newspaper and digital news company based in the United States. It owns and operates more than 70 daily newspapers and hundreds of smaller publications across roughly 26 states, serving local communities in small and mid-sized cities. Some of its well-known papers include the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and the Omaha World-Herald.

The company makes money through digital and print subscriptions, local advertising, and digital marketing services sold to small businesses. Lee has been shifting its focus toward digital subscriptions as print advertising continues to decline across the industry. The company carries a significant debt load, which limits its financial flexibility, and its main challenge is growing digital revenue fast enough to offset the ongoing drop in print circulation and advertising that affects the entire local news industry.

Growth Profile

For growth stock investors

When traditional metrics don't capture the full picture, these are the signals growth stock investors use instead.

Revenue Growth

-10.8% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

Revenue declining

EPS Growth

+348.4% YoY

YoY Growth Rate

EPS growth accelerating

R&D Spend

$0/ year

0.0% of revenue

Below sector average (12%)

Research and development spending

Insider Activity

77.7%ownership

↑ Rising

Insiders increasing their stake — aligned with shareholders

Cash Position

Cash flow positive

$87M cash & investments

Quarterly Free Cash Flow

↑ Burn rate improving

Company generates more cash than it spends — no dilution risk from fundraising

Revenue declining

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated's revenue is actually shrinking. In a growth stock, that removes the core investment thesis. The low Winston Score here may be warranted — unless there's a turnaround story.

The Winston Score above measures business quality today. Growth stocks often score lower because they invest in the future rather than maximising current profits. These metrics show what matters most for evaluating that future.

Score breakdown

Every number that matters to educated investors.

Each metric is explained in plain language so you know exactly what you're looking at. Start your free trial now.

Quality

Profit per sale

Gross Margin

98.0%

Premium pricing power — 98.0% gross margin

Profit after running costs

Operating Margin

10.3%

Modest — 10.3% operating margin

Return on the money invested

ROCE

2.8%

Weak — 2.8% return on capital

ROIC between 0% and 5%. They earn a few cents back per dollar invested in the business.

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Growth

Sales growth

Sales YoY

-11.1%

Shrinking sales (-11.1% YoY)

Profit growth

EPS YoY

N/A

Data not available

How steady the profit is

EPS Consistency

5/8 quarters

Mixed — about half the quarters showed growth

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Cash Flow

Profit that turns into cash

Cash Conversion

N/A

Data not available

Spare cash per sale

FCF Margin

-0.9%

Burning cash (-0.9%)

Free cash flow is negative. They are burning cash, not generating it.

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Stability

What it owes vs what it owns

Debt / Equity

N/A

—

Data not available

Covers its interest

Interest Cover

1.02x

Dangerous — barely covers interest (1.0x)

Interest coverage between 1 and 3. Profits cover interest, but with little room to spare.

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Valuation

Price vs profit

P/E Ratio (TTM)

N/M

Negative earnings — P/E not meaningful

Cheaper or dearer next year

P/E vs Forward

N/A

not available

Data not available

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Dividends

Dividend

Dividend Yield

9.29%

Healthy income — 9.29% yield

Yield above 6% — often a flag the market is pricing in a cut.

Dividend record

Dividend Growth

+5.6%

Dividend growing modestly (5.6% YoY)

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