Lee Enterprises Reports Strong First Quarter Results and Closing of Strategic Investment
Q1 Adjusted EBITDA(1) growth of $5M or 61% YOY
$50M equity investment(2) enhances financial stability
Interest rate on outstanding debt reduced to 5% from 9%(3)
DAVENPORT, Iowa, Feb. 10, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lee Enterprises, Incorporated (NASDAQ:LEE), a digital-first subscription platform providing high quality, trusted, local news, information and a major platform for advertising in 72 markets, today reported preliminary first quarter fiscal 2026 financial results(4) for the period ended December 28, 2025.
"Our core business delivered operating results in the first quarter that exceeded our expectations," said Nathan Bekke, Lee's President and Interim Chief Executive Officer. "Adjusted EBITDA growth of $5 million puts us in a great position to achieve our expectations for year-over-year growth in fiscal 2026. This marks our third consecutive quarter of Adjusted EBITDA growth on a comparable basis(5), led by continued industry-leading performance in digital subscription revenue coupled with disciplined cost management. These results validate our focus on building durable, recurring revenue streams while continuing to actively manage the cost structure tied to legacy revenue. Additionally, our 2026 results are expected to include reimbursement from our insurance carrier for business interruption related to the cyber event last year(6) – $2 million of which was received in the first quarter and included in Adjusted EBITDA. Excluding the insurance reimbursement, Adjusted EBITDA was up $3 million or 35% year-over-year, representing exceptionally strong operating growth."
"We are also pleased to announce the Company closed on a transformational $50 million private placement of common stock last week led by David Hoffmann," added Bekke. "This transaction strengthens the Company's balance sheet which will further fuel our digital transformation and drive long term shareholder value."
"A key component of the transaction is an amendment to the Company's credit agreement that reduces the annual interest rate on the Company's outstanding debt to 5% from 9% for a five-year period. This rate reduction is expected to result in interest savings of approximately $18 million annually or up to $90 million over the five-year period, further improving the Company's capital structure and strengthening the balance sheet," added Bekke.
"The consistent strength of our core business reflects the effectiveness of our Three Pillar Digital Growth Strategy and the progress of our digital transformation," added Bekke. "That strength along with the $50 million capital infusion and up to $90 million of interest savings sets Lee up for an exciting future as we drive sustainable growth and create long-term value for our shareholders."
For the first quarter ended December 28, 2025:
- Total operating revenue was $130 million.
- Total Digital Revenue(7) was $70 million and represented 54% of our total operating revenue.
- Revenue from digital-only subscribers totaled $23 million, up 5% over the prior year. Digital-only subscription revenue increased 23% annually over the past three years. Digital-only subscribers totaled 609,000 at the end of the quarter.
- Digital advertising and marketing services revenue represented 71% of our total advertising revenue and totaled $43 million. Amplified Digital® Agency revenue totaled $24 million in the quarter.
- Digital services revenue, which is predominantly from BLOX Digital, totaled $5 million.
- Total Print Revenue was $60 million.
- Operating expenses totaled $126 million and Cash Costs(1) totaled $121 million, a 16% and 13% decrease compared to the prior year, respectively. Operating expenses in the quarter included $2 million of cyber insurance reimbursement(6).
- Net loss totaled $5 million and Adjusted EBITDA totaled $12 million. Adjusted EBITDA increased by $5 million over the prior year in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
2026 Fiscal Year Outlook:
| Adjusted EBITDA | YOY growth in the mid-single digits |
Debt and Free Cash Flow:
The Company has $455 million of debt outstanding under our Credit Agreement with BH Finance. The financing has favorable terms including a 25-year maturity, a fixed annual interest rate of 9.0%, no fixed principal payments, and no financial performance covenants. The $50 million private placement of common stock closed in February 2026, which made operative certain amendments to the Credit Agreement with BH Finance, resulting in the fixed annual interest dropping to 5% from 9% for a five-year period(3).
As of and for the period ended December 28, 2025:
- The principal amount of debt totaled $455 million.
- Cash on the balance sheet totaled $13 million. Debt, net of cash on the balance sheet, totaled $443 million.
- Capital expenditures totaled $1 million for the quarter. We expect up to $5 million of capital expenditures in FY26.
- We expect cash paid for income taxes to total between $2 million and $8 million in FY26.
- We do not expect any pension contributions in the fiscal year.
- The Company is executing a strategic termination of our fully funded benefit pension plan, eliminating the long-term volatility tied to interest rate movement, mortality assumptions and asset performance, while preserving participant benefits and improving balance sheet flexibility.
Conference Call Information:
As previously announced, we will hold an earnings conference call and audio webcast today at 9 a.m. Central Time. The live webcast will be accessible at www.lee.net and will be available for replay 24 hours later. Analysts have been invited to ask questions on the call. Questions from other participants may be submitted by participating in the webcast. To participate in the live conference call via telephone, please register here. Upon registering, a dial-in number and unique PIN will be provided to join the conference call.
About Lee:
Lee Enterprises is a major subscription and advertising platform and a leading provider of local news and information, with daily newspapers, rapidly growing digital products and nearly 350 weekly and specialty publications serving 72 markets in 25 states. Lee's markets include St. Louis, MO; Buffalo, NY; Omaha, NE; Richmond, VA; Lincoln, NE; Madison, WI; Davenport, IA; and Tucson, AZ. Lee Common Stock is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol LEE. For more information about Lee, please visit www.lee.net.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS — The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a "safe harbor" for forward-looking statements. This release contains information that may be deemed forward-looking that is based largely on our current expectations, and is subject to certain risks, trends and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Among such risks, trends and other uncertainties, which in some instances are beyond our control, are:
- Our ability to manage declining print revenue and circulation subscribers;
- The impact and duration of adverse conditions in certain aspects of the economy affecting our business;
- Changes in advertising and subscription demand;
- Changes in technology that impact our ability to deliver digital advertising;
- Potential changes in newsprint, other commodities and energy costs;
- Interest rates;
- Labor costs;
- Significant cyber security breaches or failure of our information technology systems;
- Our ability to achieve planned expense reductions and realize the expected benefit of our acquisitions;
- Our ability to maintain employee and customer relationships;
- Our ability to manage increased capital costs;
- Our ability to maintain our listing status on NASDAQ;
- Competition;
- We may be required to indemnify the previous owners of BH Media or The Buffalo News for unknown legal and other matters that may arise;
- The impacts of changes to our leadership and corporate governance; and
- Other risks detailed from time to time in our publicly filed documents.
Any statements that are not statements of historical fact (including statements containing the words "may", "will", "would", "could", "believes", "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "projects", "considers" and similar expressions) generally should be considered forward-looking statements. Statements regarding our plans, strategies, prospects and expectations regarding our business and industry and our responses thereto may have on our future operations, are forward-looking statements. They reflect our expectations, are not guarantees of performance and speak only as of the date the statement is made. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which are made as of the date of this report. We do not undertake to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements, except as required by law.
Contact:
[email protected]
(563) 383-2100
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(UNAUDITED)
| Three months ended | ||||
| (Thousands of Dollars, Except Per Common Share Data) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | ||
| Operating revenue: | ||||
| Print advertising revenue | 17,191 | 19,861 | ||
| Digital advertising revenue | 42,795 | 46,729 | ||
| Advertising and marketing services revenue | 59,986 | 66,590 | ||
| Print subscription revenue | 34,996 | 43,432 | ||
| Digital subscription revenue | 22,706 | 21,565 | ||
| Subscription revenue | 57,702 | 64,997 | ||
| Print other revenue | 7,546 | 7,888 | ||
| Digital other revenue | 4,828 | 5,087 | ||
| Other revenue | 12,374 | 12,975 | ||
| Total operating revenue | 130,062 | 144,562 | ||
| Operating expenses: | ||||
| Compensation | 49,433 | 60,254 | ||
| Newsprint and ink | 2,963 | 3,616 | ||
| Other operating expenses | 68,814 | 74,680 | ||
| Insurance proceeds | (2,000 | ) | — | |
| Depreciation and amortization | 3,579 | 6,265 | ||
| Assets loss (gain) on sales, impairments and other, net | (3 | ) | (929 | ) |
| Restructuring costs and other | 3,148 | 5,150 | ||
| Total operating expenses | 125,934 | 149,036 | ||
| Equity in earnings of associated companies | 1,080 | 1,122 | ||
| Operating (loss) income | 5,208 | (3,352 | ) | |
| Non-operating (expense) income: | ||||
| Interest expense | (10,248 | ) | (10,282 | ) |
| Pension and OPEB related benefit and other, net | 845 | 653 | ||
| Curtailment/Settlement gains | — | — | ||
| Total non-operating expense, net | (9,403 | ) | (9,629 | ) |
| Loss before income taxes | (4,195 | ) | (12,981 | ) |
| Income tax benefit | 931 | 3,243 | ||
| Net loss | (5,126 | ) | (16,224 | ) |
| Net income attributable to non-controlling interests | (485 | ) | (524 | ) |
| Loss attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated | (5,611 | ) | (16,748 | ) |
| Other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes | (79 | ) | (115 | ) |
| Comprehensive loss attributable to Lee Enterprises, Incorporated | (5,690 | ) | (16,863 | ) |
| Loss per common share: | ||||
| Basic: | (0.92 | ) | (2.80 | ) |
| Diluted: | (0.92 | ) | (2.80 | ) |
DIGITAL / PRINT REVENUE COMPOSITION
(UNAUDITED)
| Three months ended | ||||
| (Thousands of Dollars) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | ||
| Digital Advertising and Marketing Services Revenue | 42,795 | 46,729 | ||
| Digital Only Subscription Revenue | 22,706 | 21,565 | ||
| Digital Services Revenue | 4,828 | 5,087 | ||
| Total Digital Revenue | 70,329 | 73,381 | ||
| Print Advertising Revenue | 17,191 | 19,861 | ||
| Print Subscription Revenue | 34,996 | 43,432 | ||
| Other Print Revenue | 7,546 | 7,888 | ||
| Total Print Revenue | 59,733 | 71,181 | ||
| Total Operating Revenue | 130,062 | 144,562 | ||
RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(UNAUDITED)
The tables below reconcile the non-GAAP financial performance measure of Adjusted EBITDA to Net loss, its most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure:
| Three months ended | ||||
| (Thousands of Dollars) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | ||
| Net loss | (5,126 | ) | (16,224 | ) |
| Adjusted to exclude | ||||
| Income tax expense | 931 | 3,243 | ||
| Non-operating expenses, net | 9,403 | 9,629 | ||
| Equity in earnings of TNI and MNI | (1,080 | ) | (1,122 | ) |
| Depreciation and amortization | 3,579 | 6,265 | ||
| Restructuring costs and other | 3,148 | 5,150 | ||
| Assets gain on sales, impairments and other, net | (3 | ) | (929 | ) |
| Stock compensation | 328 | 430 | ||
| Add: | ||||
| Ownership share of TNI and MNI EBITDA (50%) | 1,101 | 1,167 | ||
| Adjusted EBITDA | 12,281 | 7,609 | ||
The table below reconciles the non-GAAP financial performance measure of Cash Costs to Operating expenses, the most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure:
| Three months ended | ||||
| (Thousands of Dollars) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | ||
| Operating expenses | 125,934 | 149,036 | ||
| Adjustments | ||||
| Depreciation and amortization | 3,579 | 6,265 | ||
| Assets gain on sales, impairments and other, net | (3 | ) | (929 | ) |
| Restructuring costs and other | 3,148 | 5,150 | ||
| Insurance proceeds | (2,000 | ) | — | |
| Cash Costs | 121,210 | 138,550 | ||
The table below reconciles the non-GAAP financial performance measure of Same-store Revenues to Operating Revenues, its most directly comparable U.S. GAAP measure:
| Three months ended | ||||
| (Thousands of Dollars) | December 28, 2025 | December 29, 2024 | ||
| Print Advertising Revenue | 17,191 | 19,861 | ||
| Exited operations | (76 | ) | (452 | ) |
| Same-store, Print Advertising Revenue | 17,115 | 19,409 | ||
| Digital Advertising Revenue | 42,795 | 46,729 | ||
| Exited operations | (57 | ) | (51 | ) |
| Same-store, Digital Advertising Revenue | 42,738 | 46,678 | ||
| Total Advertising Revenue | 59,986 | 66,590 | ||
| Exited operations | (132 | ) | (504 | ) |
| Same-store, Total Advertising Revenue | 59,854 | 66,086 | ||
| Print Subscription Revenue | 34,996 | 43,432 | ||
| Exited operations | (3 | ) | (59 | ) |
| Same-store, Print Subscription Revenue | 34,993 | 43,373 | ||
| Digital Subscription Revenue | 22,706 | 21,565 | ||
| Exited operations | (1 | ) | (2 | ) |
| Same-store, Digital Subscription Revenue | 22,705 | 21,563 | ||
| Total Subscription Revenue | 57,702 | 64,997 | ||
| Exited operations | (3 | ) | (61 | ) |
| Same-store, Total Subscription Revenue | 57,699 | 64,936 | ||
| Print Other Revenue | 7,546 | 7,888 | ||
| Exited operations | — | — | ||
| Same-store, Print Other Revenue | 7,546 | 7,888 | ||
| Digital Other Revenue | 4,828 | 5,087 | ||
| Exited operations | — | — | ||
| Same-store, Digital Other Revenue | 4,828 | 5,087 | ||
| Total Other Revenue | 12,374 | 12,975 | ||
| Exited operations | — | — | ||
| Same-store, Total Other Revenue | 12,374 | 12,975 | ||
| Total Operating Revenue | 130,062 | 144,562 | ||
| Exited operations | (136 | ) | (565 | ) |
| Same-store, Total Operating Revenue | 129,926 | 143,997 | ||
NOTES
| (1) | The following are non-GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) financial measures for which reconciliations to relevant U.S GAAP measures are included in tables accompanying this release:
|
| (2) | On February 5, 2026 (the "Closing"), we issued an aggregate of 16,000,000 shares of Common Stock at a price of $3.25 per share in a private placement (the "Private Placement") pursuant to the stock purchase agreement by and among the Company, David Hoffmann and the other existing investors in the Company (the "Stock Purchase Agreement"). The aggregate gross proceeds from the Private Placement were approximately $50.0 million, before deducting offering expenses. |
| (3) | The Company's debt is the $576 million term loan under a credit agreement with BH Finance LLC dated January 29, 2020 (the "Credit Agreement"). Excess Cash Flow was previously defined under the Credit Agreement as any cash greater than $20.0 million on the balance sheet in accordance with U.S. GAAP at the end of each fiscal quarter, beginning with the quarter ending June 28, 2020. Concurrently with the execution of the Stock Purchase Agreement, we entered into the Second Amendment to the Credit Agreement. The amendments set forth therein became operative upon the Company's receipt of the proceeds from the Private Placement at the Closing. The amendments include a reduction of the applicable margin on our 25-year term loan from 9% to 5% for a period of five years following the closing and amending the definition of Excess Cash Flow such that the minimum amount of cash on hand held by us before being deemed Excess Cash Flow would be equal to $64.0 million. |
| (4) | This earnings release is a preliminary report of results for the periods included. The reader should refer to the Company's most recent reports on Form 10-Q and on Form 10-K for definitive information. |
| (5) | Comparable basis is a non-GAAP performance measure based on U.S. GAAP trends for Lee for the current period, excluding the extra week in fiscal 2024. The fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2025 consisted of 13 weeks and 52 weeks, respectively. The fourth quarter and full year of fiscal 2024 consisted of 14 weeks and 53 weeks, respectively. |
| (6) | FY25 revenue and Adjusted EBITDA were materially impacted by a cyber incident in February 2025. The FY25 impact on revenue and Adjusted EBITDA was approximately $12M and $8M, respectively. These metrics exclude any potential reimbursement from cyber insurance carrier in FY25. For the three months ended December 28, 2025, we received $2.0 million in business interruption reimbursements that were recorded on their own line in "Operating Expenses." The remaining business-interruption claims remain under review. |
| (7) | Total Digital Revenue is defined as digital advertising and marketing services revenue (including Amplified Digital®), digital-only subscription revenue and digital services revenue. |
| (8) | TNI refers to TNI Partners publishing operations in Tucson, AZ. MNI refers to Madison Newspapers, Inc. publishing operations in Madison, WI. |
