Key Points
- Digital Ltd. Quint purchased 2,451,346 shares of Lee Enterprises at an average price of $3.25 (≈$7.97M), increasing its holding to 3,214,346 shares — a 321.28% jump in its position.
- Lee closed a $50M equity investment and cut interest on outstanding debt to ~5% from ~9%, while Q1 adjusted EBITDA rose about $5M (≈61% YoY), improving liquidity and cash-generation prospects.
- Countering those gains, the company still reported a GAAP net loss (~$5.1M) and has thin liquidity (current ratio ~0.78, quick ratio ~0.72) with high leverage (debt-to-equity ~69.34), leaving balance-sheet and profitability risks.
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE - Get Free Report) major shareholder Digital Ltd Quint purchased 2,451,346 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was bought at an average price of $3.25 per share, with a total value of $7,966,874.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 3,214,346 shares in the company, valued at $10,446,624.50. This represents a 321.28% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.
Lee Enterprises Stock Performance
Shares of NYSE:LEE opened at $6.80 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $42.58 million, a P/E ratio of -0.93 and a beta of 0.55. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated has a one year low of $3.34 and a one year high of $11.69. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $4.72 and its 200 day simple moving average is $4.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.34, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a current ratio of 0.78.
More Lee Enterprises News
Here are the key news stories impacting Lee Enterprises this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Company closed a $50M equity investment and secured a lower interest rate on outstanding debt (reduced to ~5% from ~9%), materially improving liquidity and interest expense outlook. GlobeNewswire: Strong First Quarter & Strategic Investment
- Positive Sentiment: First-quarter adjusted EBITDA rose by about $5M (≈61% YoY), signaling improving underlying cash generation despite GAAP loss — a key positive for creditors and investors. GlobeNewswire: Q1 Results
- Positive Sentiment: Major shareholder Digital Ltd. Quint bought ~2.45M shares at ~$3.25, increasing its stake over 321% — an insider/large-holder buy that can be read as a vote of confidence. SEC Ownership Filing
- Positive Sentiment: Shares recently crossed above the 200-day moving average, a technical bullish signal that can attract momentum traders. AmericanBankingNews: Crosses Above 200-Day MA
- Neutral Sentiment: Management reiterated a long-term goal of growing digital revenue to ~$450M by 2030, outlining strategic priorities and placing emphasis on digital transformation (long-term positive but requires execution). MSN: $450M Digital Revenue Target
- Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call and prepared remarks were posted (useful for details on strategy and guidance; immediate market impact limited to what investors glean). Yahoo: Q1 Earnings Call Summary Seeking Alpha: Prepared Remarks
- Negative Sentiment: Company still reported a GAAP loss (wider-than-expected in some coverage) and reported a net loss of ~$5.1M in reporting that included leadership changes — profitability and management execution remain risks. BizJournals: Loss Narrows to $5.1M
- Negative Sentiment: Balance-sheet metrics remain thin (current ratio ~0.78, quick ratio ~0.72) and the company carries high leverage — ongoing liquidity and leverage are potential constraints despite recent improvements. Investing.com: Shares Rise Despite Wider Loss
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lee Enterprises
Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its holdings in Lee Enterprises by 23.8% in the 4th quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 601,454 shares of the company's stock worth $2,881,000 after buying an additional 115,779 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake in shares of Lee Enterprises by 15,715.8% in the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 29,101 shares of the company's stock worth $302,000 after acquiring an additional 28,917 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC boosted its holdings in Lee Enterprises by 9.5% in the fourth quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 226,800 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 19,700 shares during the last quarter. Teton Advisors LLC purchased a new position in Lee Enterprises in the third quarter valued at about $82,000. Finally, Wittenberg Investment Management Inc. grew its stake in Lee Enterprises by 20.1% during the 2nd quarter. Wittenberg Investment Management Inc. now owns 85,043 shares of the company's stock valued at $544,000 after purchasing an additional 14,262 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.20% of the company's stock.
Lee Enterprises Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
Lee Enterprises, Inc is a publicly traded media company based in Davenport, Iowa, with a heritage dating back to 1890 when Alfred W. Lee acquired the Davenport Times-Democrat. Over the decades, the company has grown through acquisitions and organic expansion to become one of the largest regional news publishers in the United States. Lee Enterprises' shares trade on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol LEE.
The company's principal activities center on the production and distribution of local journalism across print and digital channels.
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