Lee Enterprises (NYSE:LEE) Stock Price Passes Above Two Hundred Day Moving Average - Time to Sell?

Key Points

• Lee Enterprises shares rose 4.2% and briefly moved above their 200-day moving average, trading as high as $8.18 before last changing hands at $8.15. The move is being framed by the headline as a possible “time to sell” signal.
• The company’s financial profile remains pressured, with a debt-to-equity ratio of 69.34 and weak liquidity ratios of 0.78 current and 0.72 quick. It also carries a market cap of about $181 million and a negative P/E ratio of -1.12.
• Insider activity has been mixed, with one director selling shares and another buying, while company insiders own 54.2% of the stock. Institutional investors also hold a meaningful stake, owning 39.2% of shares outstanding.

Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NYSE:LEE - Get Free Report) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Wednesday . The stock has a 200-day moving average of $7.95 and traded as high as $8.18. Lee Enterprises shares last traded at $8.15, with a volume of 70,962 shares trading hands.

Lee Enterprises Trading Up 4.2%

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 $181.17 million, a PE ratio of -1.12 and a beta of 0.34. The business's 50-day moving average price is $9.25 and its 200-day moving average price is $7.95.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Herbert W. Moloney III sold 24,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $9.82, for a total value of $235,680.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,037 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $226,223.34. This represents a 51.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director David Henry Hoffmann bought 6,925 shares of Lee Enterprises stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 8th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $10.86 per share, with a total value of $75,205.50. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 11,517,242 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $125,077,248.12. The trade was a 0.06% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have purchased 94,225 shares of company stock valued at $898,978. 54.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lee Enterprises

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Teton Advisors LLC raised its stake in Lee Enterprises by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Teton Advisors LLC now owns 17,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $81,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares during the last quarter. Jane Street Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Lee Enterprises in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $86,000. DRW Securities LLC acquired a new position in shares of Lee Enterprises in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $99,000. Royal Bank of Canada increased its holdings in shares of Lee Enterprises by 15,715.8% in 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 period. Finally, Private Advisor Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lee Enterprises during the first quarter worth approximately $430,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.

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