Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) Shares Pass Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Should You Sell?

Key Points

• Crossed above its 200‑day moving average: Lee Enterprises traded as high as $8.70 and last at $8.32 versus a 200‑day average of $6.07 (50‑day $8.63), signaling a technical uptick.
• Heavy insider buying: insiders purchased 2,646,809 shares (~$9.7M) in the last quarter — including a 27,800‑share buy by Director David Henry Hoffmann — and now own 54.20% of the company.
• Weak fundamentals despite the move: the company has a market cap of $185M, negative earnings (P/E -1.14), a high debt‑to‑equity ratio of 69.34 and tight liquidity (current ratio 0.78, quick ratio 0.72).

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE - Get Free Report) crossed above its two hundred day moving average during trading on Friday . The stock has a two hundred day moving average of $6.07 and traded as high as $8.70. Lee Enterprises shares last traded at $8.32, with a volume of 25,118 shares traded.

Lee Enterprises Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $185.04 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of -1.14 and a beta of 0.31. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.34, a current ratio of 0.78 and a quick ratio of 0.72. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $8.63 and a 200 day moving average price of $6.07.

Insider Activity at Lee Enterprises

In other news, major shareholder Digital Ltd Quint bought 10,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 3rd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $9.13 per share, with a total value of $91,300.00. Following the transaction, the insider owned 3,244,800 shares in the company, valued at $29,625,024. This represents a 0.31% 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 hyperlink. Also, Director David Henry Hoffmann bought 27,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $9.35 per share, for a total transaction of $259,930.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 11,266,449 shares in the company, valued at $105,341,298.15. The trade was a 0.25% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 2,646,809 shares of company stock valued at $9,694,014. 54.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Lee Enterprises

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lee Enterprises in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Teton Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Lee Enterprises by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Teton Advisors LLC now owns 17,000 shares of the company's stock worth $81,000 after purchasing an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lee Enterprises during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $86,000. DRW Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lee Enterprises during the 4th quarter worth approximately $99,000. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in shares of Lee Enterprises by 15,715.8% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 29,101 shares of the company's stock worth $302,000 after purchasing an additional 28,917 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 39.20% of the company's stock.

Lee Enterprises Company Profile

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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