Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) Stock Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Technical breakout: LEE stock climbed above its 200‑day moving average of $5.70, trading as high as $9.10 and last at $8.78 (up ~2.8%), with a 50‑day average of $7.85.
• Mixed insider activity but high insider ownership: Director David Hoffmann bought 27,800 shares at $9.33 while Director Brent Magid sold 26,804 at $9.08; insiders purchased ~2.65M shares (~$9.7M) over three months and now own 54.20% of the company (institutions own 39.20%).
• Risky fundamentals: Market cap is about $195M, the P/E is negative (-1.21), debt‑to‑equity is high at 69.34, and liquidity is weak (current ratio 0.78, quick ratio 0.72), indicating financial risk despite the technical move.

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE - Get Free Report)'s share price passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Tuesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $5.70 and traded as high as $9.10. Lee Enterprises shares last traded at $8.78, with a volume of 41,190 shares trading hands.

Lee Enterprises Stock Up 2.8%

The firm's fifty day moving average price is $7.85 and its 200-day moving average price is $5.70. 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 firm has a market capitalization of $195.27 million, a P/E ratio of -1.21 and a beta of 0.31.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director David Henry Hoffmann acquired 27,800 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $9.33 per share, for a total transaction of $259,374.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 11,210,849 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $104,597,221.17. The trade was a 0.25% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Brent Magid sold 26,804 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, March 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.08, for a total transaction of $243,380.32. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 8,760 shares of the company's stock, valued at $79,540.80. This trade represents a 75.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders purchased 2,646,809 shares of company stock worth $9,694,014 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 54.20% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Lee Enterprises

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LEE. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its stake 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 valued at $302,000 after purchasing an additional 28,917 shares during the last quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its stake in Lee Enterprises by 4.9% during the second quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 493,816 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,160,000 after purchasing an additional 23,269 shares during the last quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC lifted its stake in Lee Enterprises by 2.2% during the second quarter. Gabelli Funds LLC now owns 202,482 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,296,000 after purchasing an additional 4,389 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC acquired a new stake in Lee Enterprises during the second quarter valued at approximately $86,000. Finally, Murphy Pohlad Asset Management LLC acquired a new stake in Lee Enterprises during the third quarter valued at approximately $66,000. 39.20% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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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