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Lee EnterprisesLEE -2.21%43 Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.21% as of Mar. 2026, which is 66% below its 10-year median of 9.57. GuruFocus rates LEE with a GF Scoreâ„¢ of 43/100 and a GF Valueâ„¢ of $4.70 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,006 Media - Diversified companies, Lee Enterprises ranks better than 50.89% on this metric.
Lee Enterprises's Enterprise Value for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was $617.9 Mil.
Lee Enterprises's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $19.8 Mil. Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 3.21%.
The historical rank and industry rank for Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % or its related term are showing as below:
LEE'
s Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -0.81 Med: 9.57 Max: 18.29
Current: 3.28
During the past 13 years, the highest Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) of Lee Enterprises was 18.29%. The lowest was -0.81%. And the median was 9.57%.
LEE's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is ranked better than 50.89% of 1006
companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: 2.78
vs LEE: 3.28
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
A better indicator of the attractiveness of an investment which takes growth into account is the Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) %. Lee Enterprises's Forward Rate of Return (Yacktman) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -34.78%. The Forward Rate of Return uses the normalized Free Cash Flow of the past five years, and considers growth. The forward rate of return can be thought of as the return that investors buying the stock today can expect from it in the future.
Lee Enterprises (NAS:LEE) Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Explanation
Joel Greenblatt defines the earnings yield using the above equation because it more accurately reflects the company's profitability relative to its stock price. Items like interest payment and tax etc. are not directly related to the company's operational profitability.
Enterprise Value instead of market cap (share price) is used in the calculation because it is the real price stock and bond investors together pay for the company.
Be Aware
Joel Greenblatt's definition of earnings yield has the same problems the regular earnings yield does. It does not consider the growth of the company. It only looks at one-year's business operation. For cyclical companies, the earnings yield is usually highest at the peak of the business cycle. But these earnings are rarely sustainable.
Lee Enterprises Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Related Terms
Lee Enterprises Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Lee Enterprises Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Chart
LEE vs EDUC, IDWM, TNMG: Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Comparison
For the Publishing subindustry, Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %, along with its competitors' market caps and Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Lee Enterprises Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lee Enterprises's Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % falls into.
Lee Enterprises Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % Calculation
In his book, The Little That Beat the Market, hedge fund manager Joel Greenblatt defines Earnings Yield as operating income divided by enterprise value.
Lee Enterprisess Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) for the fiscal year that ended in Sep. 2025 is calculated as
Lee Enterprises's EBIT for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $19.8 Mil.
What does a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 3.21% mean?
Lee Enterprises (LEE) has a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 3.21% as of Mar. 2026. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. This is 66% below median its historical median of 9.57. According to the industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #494 out of 1006 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 49.1%.
Is Lee Enterprises' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % too high?
Lee Enterprises' current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 3.21% is 66% below median its 10-year median of 9.57. The Media - Diversified industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.78. Lee Enterprises' value of 3.21% is 15.5% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #494 out of 1006 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Lee Enterprises has a GF Scoreâ„¢ of 43/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lee Enterprises' Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % compare to EDUC and IDWM?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #494 out of 1006 companies for Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %. This puts Lee Enterprises in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.78. Lee Enterprises' value of 3.21% is 15.5% above this benchmark. While the company's 10-year median is 9.57 vs. the industry median of 2.78, Lee Enterprises has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % among Media - Diversified companies is 2.78, based on 1,006 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Lee Enterprises's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % of 3.21% is 15.5% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % mean?
A high Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Joel Greenblatt's earnings yield equals the ratio of earnings before interest and taxes to enterprise value. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 2.78 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Lee Enterprises's current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.21%, which is 66% below median its own 10-year median of 9.57. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Lee Enterprises stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lee Enterprises (LEE) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $4.70, compared to a current price of $7.97 — trading 69.6% above its estimated fair value. The current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.21%, which is 66% below median its 10-year median of 9.57 and 15.5% above the Media - Diversified industry median of 2.78. Lee Enterprises' overall GF Score™ is 43/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % calculated?
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lee Enterprises (LEE), the current Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is 3.21% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Lee Enterprises (LEE) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lee Enterprises stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $7.97 is trading 69.6% above its estimated GF Value™ of $4.70.
GuruFocus considers Lee Enterprises to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LEE:
Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) %: 3.21% (66% below median its 10-year median of 9.57)
GF Value™: $4.70 vs. price of $7.97 (69.6% above fair value)
Industry Position: 15.5% above the Media - Diversified median (#494 of 1006)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LEE stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Lee Enterprises Inc is a local news publication company in the United States. It is a digital-first subscription business providing local markets with valuable, high-quality, trusted, intensely local news, information, advertising, and marketing services. The product portfolio of the company includes digital subscription platforms, daily, weekly, and monthly newspapers, and niche products, all delivering original local news and information as well as national and international news. The products offer digital and print editions, and content and advertising are available in real-time through the websites and mobile apps.
43GF Score
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Earnings Yield (Joel Greenblatt) % is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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