Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) Fair Value & Analysis
Communication Services · US · Market cap $206M
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated
LEE · US
Fair value as of: Aug 7, 2026
From 3 valuation models · updated 3 days ago
Fair value updated Aug 7, 2026, revised from $0.2500 to $0.2400 (−4.0%) since Jul 17, 2026. Share price −8.7% over the past month.
Below-average quality, and screening another 97% overvalued on our models.
What matters now
- The price sits above even our optimistic bull case ($0.9600). The favourable scenario is already priced in.
- Weak quality (34/100) and above fair value at the same time, the margin of safety is missing on both counts.
- The model range is unusually wide ($0.2300 to $0.9600). The outcome hinges heavily on assumptions, so read the point estimate with caution.
- The large gap to fair value rests on thin data (low evidence): fewer applicable models and a shorter history. Read it with extra caution.
Price vs Fair Value (5 years)
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Aug 7, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $3.40 – $43.21 · fair‑value band $0.2300 – $0.9600 · the $8.19 price screens above the $0.2400 fair value. Dashed = 300-day average. As of Aug 7, 2026.
Analysis
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) currently trades at $8.19, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $0.2400, implying the stock looks roughly 97.1% overvalued today. The Quality Score stands at 34/100 (below-average quality), in the Communication Services sector. Bear case: priced above our estimate, the market already discounts strong expectations. Bull case: above-average quality can justify a premium, the entry price still matters most (evidence: low).
Over the trailing twelve months, Lee Enterprises, Incorporated generated revenue of $532M at a net margin of -3.0%. Revenue declined 11.2% year over year. Net debt stands at $472M. Fundamentals as of Aug 7, 2026
Our scenario range runs from $0.2300 (bear case) to $0.9600 (bull case); at $8.19, the current price sits above that range. Bear and bull are the same models run on conservative and optimistic assumptions (margins, growth, valuation multiples), so a plausible valuation range, not a price target. The share trades about 31% below its 52-week high and 145% above its 52-week low, currently above its 200-day average. For context, the median of 10 Communication Services peers we cover trades at 9% fair-value upside, at -97%, LEE screens richer than that median.
Fair Value models
Each model estimates fair value its own way; the Fair Value above is the evidence-weighted blend. Evidence (0–100) measures how completely this model’s inputs are available: well-fed models carry more weight in the blend. The spread across models is intentional, each one stresses a different value driver; dividend models, for instance, come out structurally low when payout is small.
All 3 models by family
Widest divergence: Multiples ($0.8600) versus Dividend Discount ($0.2200). Highest evidence: Gordon GGM (70).
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Key figures & financial health
More key figures
Figures from reported company fundamentals · as of Aug 7, 2026. TTM = trailing twelve months.
Quality Score breakdown
Of which business quality 32 · Market factors (momentum, volatility) 72
Non-valuation factor families (profitability, growth, cashflow, financial strength, momentum …), each academically grounded. Valuation itself sits in the Fair Value and is deliberately excluded here to avoid double-counting.
About the company
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated, a digital-first subscription and marketing services company, provides local news and information, and advertising services in the United States.
Full company description
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated, a digital-first subscription and marketing services company, provides local news and information, and advertising services in the United States. The company offers digital subscription platforms; daily and weekly newspapers; and niche products for national and international news are accessible across digital and print formats through websites and mobile applications. It also provides subscription services through digital and print subscriptions; and omni-channel marketing solutions, including digital, print, programmatic, video, and social media campaigns. In addition, the company offers commercial printing, distribution, and other digital services through SaaS content management solution. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated was founded in 1890 and is based in Davenport, Iowa.
Company description, as reported by the company or data provider.
Revenue & earnings trend
FY2021 – FY2025 · reported fiscal years
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated reported revenue of $562M in FY2025 versus $795M in FY2021, a compound −8.3%/yr. Reported net income was −$37.6M in FY2025.
LEE screens 97% overvalued. Compare with The New York Times Company →
Peer Group
Publishing · 111 stocks
How this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.
Valuation Multiples vs Publishing median · lower = cheaper
Snowflake
Five quick dimensions, each 0 to 100: VALUE (fair-value potential), FUTURE (revenue growth), PAST (return on equity), HEALTH (low debt), DIVIDEND (yield). Green = this stock, grey = typical sector peer.
VALUE 0: the price sits above our fair-value range.
PAST 0: with negative equity (buybacks among others) return on equity is not meaningfully computable.
Values & ESG
Does this company touch areas you may want to avoid? The classification is inferred from sector and industry.
ESG scores are not available for this stock yet. Values and ESG data are contextual and can differ between providers.
Similar stocks
10 more Publishing stocks, each showing price versus our Fair Value estimate (as of Aug 7, 2026).
| Stock | Price | Fair Value | vs Fair Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| The New York Times Company NYT | $76.71 | $41.95 | -45% |
| Jiangsu Phoenix Publishing & Media Corporation 601928 | ¥9.20 | ¥10.07 | +9% |
| China Science Publishing & Media Ltd 601858 | ¥26.32 | ¥10.31 | -61% |
| People.cn CO., LTD 603000 | ¥17.10 | ¥4.23 | -75% |
| China South Publishing & Media Group 601098 | ¥10.43 | ¥14.66 | +41% |
| John Wiley & Sons, Inc WLY | $49.51 | $57.01 | +15% |
| Zhejiang Publishing & Media Co 601921 | ¥7.15 | ¥7.54 | +5% |
| Xinhua Winshare Publishing and Media Co 601811 | ¥11.87 | ¥21.61 | +82% |
| Shandong Publishing&Media Co 601019 | ¥6.98 | ¥11.60 | +66% |
| Guangdong Guangzhou Daily Media Co 002181 | ¥7.61 | ¥1.35 | -82% |
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How we calculate Fair Value
Each company is valued through a stack of independent intrinsic-value models (DCF variants, residual-income, multiples and more), blended into one family-balanced consensus and weighted by how much trustworthy data backs it. A separate quality layer scores the fundamentals. Every input is real reported data, nothing guessed.
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