Stock fact sheet · data as of
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol LEE · Communication Services · Publishing · United States · Speculative
Is LEE undervalued?
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (LEE) closed at 6.59 on 5 Nov 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 1 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 192.45, which puts the price 97% below it. 1 of the 1 models value the shares above the current price. A gap this wide is rare in our universe of ~7,400 US stocks and is exactly what the Value part of the Wheel Score rewards; it is also where the question "why is it this cheap?" matters most.
Only 1 of the nine models produced a value (DCF); the others need a dividend, positive free cash flow or positive book value the company does not have yet, so the average rests on a narrow base.
The nightly engine files LEE under Speculative - it is losing money or its Piotroski health score is 3 or lower - which caps its Wheel Score at 45 and keeps it out of the Sunday Scan.
Nine valuation models for LEE
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 192.45 | +2820% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | - | - | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share; no value tonight |
| Graham Growth | - | - | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields; no value tonight |
| Lynch | - | - | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25%; no value tonight |
| GLS Growth | - | - | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year; no value tonight |
| 10 Cap | - | - | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10%; no value tonight |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | - | - | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth; no value tonight |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -24.82 | -477% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 0.0000 | -100% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - LEE passes 5 of the nine Piotroski tests, which falls one point short of the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is low at 4.9 out of 10: returns on capital, margins or the balance sheet have not shown a lasting edge yet - often a young company, a thin-margin business or one that has only recently turned profitable.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC -8.6%, ROE 86.8%, ROA -6.2% - with debt at -11.12 times equity and negative free cash flow.
Lee Enterprises, Incorporated pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Advertising and Marketing Services 47%, Subscription and Circulation 44%, Product and Service, Other 9% (quarter Q3 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 9/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | -8.6% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 4.9 / 10 | ROE | 86.8% |
| Debt / equity | -11.12 | ROA | -6.2% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | -0.4% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 9 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 32: No options
LEE has no listed options in the nightly snapshot, so there is nothing to sell and the stock cannot be wheeled however good the business. It fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), so the score stays under 70 and is shown as "No options" (32 here). The valuation and quality numbers still apply to owning the shares outright.
Volume runs at 48k shares a day on a market cap of $147M, with a beta of 0.38 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | no listed options |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Fails | speculative (a loss, or a weak Piotroski score) |
| 3 | Below fair value | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Fails | Piotroski 5/9 (under 6) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Fails | debt with no positive cash flow to repay it |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | no implied volatility |
| 8 | Big enough | Fails | market cap $147M (under $1.0B) |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Strong | 97% below fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | no option data | |
| Moat | Fair | moat 4.9/10 | |
| Health | Fair | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Red Flags | Fair | not scored yet - half marks | |
| Option trading | Weak | no option volume data | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.38, $147M company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 27 Nov 2026 (before the open), 22 days away; a 30-45-day put sold today would expire after it, which is worth weighing against the premium.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Publishing
The 12 companies below are the closest to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated by market cap within the Publishing industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GWOX The Goodheart-Willcox Company, Inc. | 371.00 | 348.25 | -7% | 21No options | $173M |
| CMTX COMTEX News Network, Inc. | 5.25 | 131.70 | +96% | 27No options | $83M |
| SCHL Scholastic Corporation | 38.39 | 62.46 | +39% | 44Weak | $707M |
| TDAY USA TODAY Co. Inc. | 6.07 | 24.20 | +75% | 41Weak | $891M |
| DTRL The Detroit Legal News Company | 450.00 | 1,517.00 | +70% | 31No options | $17M |
| IDWM IDW Media Holdings, Inc. | 34.10 | 58.17 | +41% | 27No options | $10M |
| EDUC Educational Development Corporation | 1.05 | 5.61 | +81% | 32No options | $9M |
| WLYB John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | 50.82 | 100.77 | +50% | 33No options | $2.6B |
| WLY John Wiley & Sons, Inc. | 52.30 | 102.14 | +49% | 45Weak | $2.7B |
| TNMG TNL Mediagene | 3.20 | - | - | 13No options | $2M |
| NYT The New York Times Company | 66.50 | 67.41 | +1% | 73Good | $10.7B |
| PSO Pearson plc | 17.74 | 24.95 | +29% | 49Weak | $10.8B |
⚖ Compare LEE with 7 of them All Communication Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about LEE
Is LEE undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 6.59 the stock is 97% below the average fair value of 192.45 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of LEE and what does it mean?
LEE has no listed options in our nightly snapshot, so it cannot be wheeled; it fails the first Wheel Trade Filter (options that actually trade), stays under 70 and is shown as "No options".
What is the GLS fair value for LEE?
192.45 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 1 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Lee Enterprises, Incorporated report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 27 Nov 2026 (before the open), 22 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does LEE have listed options, and how liquid are they?
No. The nightly options snapshot found no listed contracts on LEE, so the wheel strategy cannot be run on it and the Wheel Score stays under 70.