Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) Major Shareholder Digital Ltd Quint Purchases 2,451,346 Shares of Stock

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE) major shareholder Digital Ltd Quint purchased 2,451,346 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, February 5th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3.25 per share, with a total value of $7,966,874.50. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 3,214,346 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,446,624.50. The trade was a 321.28% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Lee Enterprises Stock Performance

NYSE:LEE opened at $6.80 on Thursday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $4.72 and its 200 day moving average price is $4.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $42.58 million, a PE ratio of -0.93 and a beta of 0.55. Lee Enterprises, Incorporated has a 12 month low of $3.34 and a 12 month high of $11.69. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.34, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72.

Lee Enterprises News Roundup

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

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEE. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its holdings in Lee Enterprises by 23.8% during the fourth quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 601,454 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,881,000 after acquiring an additional 115,779 shares during the period. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in Lee Enterprises by 15,715.8% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 29,101 shares of the company’s stock worth $302,000 after buying an additional 28,917 shares in the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC increased its position in Lee Enterprises by 9.5% during the 4th quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 226,800 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,086,000 after purchasing an additional 19,700 shares in the last quarter. Teton Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lee Enterprises during the 3rd quarter worth about $82,000. Finally, Wittenberg Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Lee Enterprises by 20.1% in 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 during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 39.20% of the company’s stock.

About Lee Enterprises

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.