Lee EnterprisesFRA:LE70 -3.38%43 Beneish M-Score is -2.74 as of Jun. 26, 2026. GuruFocus rates FRA:LE70 with a GF Score™ of 43/100 and a GF Value™ of €4.39 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 989 Media - Diversified companies, Lee Enterprises ranks better than 62.18% on this metric.
The zones of discrimination for M-Score is as such:
An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.
Good Sign:
Beneish M-Score -2.74 no higher than -1.78, which implies that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
The historical rank and industry rank for Lee Enterprises's Beneish M-Score or its related term are showing as below:
FRA:LE70'
s Beneish M-Score Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -3.16 Med: -2.66 Max: -1.92
Current: -2.74
During the past 13 years, the highest Beneish M-Score of Lee Enterprises was -1.92. The lowest was -3.16. And the median was -2.66.
Lee Enterprises Beneish M-Score Related Terms
Lee Enterprises Beneish M-Score Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Lee Enterprises's Beneish M-Score 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.
FRA:LE70 vs EDUC, TNMG, SCHL: Beneish M-Score Comparison
For the Publishing subindustry, Lee Enterprises's Beneish M-Score, along with its competitors' market caps and Beneish M-Score 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 Beneish M-Score vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Lee Enterprises's Beneish M-Score distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lee Enterprises's Beneish M-Score falls into.
The M-score was created by Professor Messod Beneish. Instead of measuring the bankruptcy risk (Altman Z-Score) or business trend (Piotroski F-Score), M-score can be used to detect the risk of earnings manipulation. This is the original research paper on M-score.
The M-Score Variables:
The M-score of Lee Enterprises for today is based on a combination of the following eight different indices:
M
=
-4.84
+
0.92 * DSRI
+
0.528 * GMI
+
0.404 * AQI
+
0.892 * SGI
+
0.115 * DEPI
=
-4.84
+
0.92 * 0.8186
+
0.528 * 0.9973
+
0.404 * 0.9907
+
0.892 * 0.8352
+
0.115 * 1.2242
-
0.172 * SGAI
+
4.679 * TATA
-
0.327 * LVGI
-
0.172 * 0.9215
+
4.679 * -0.009549
-
0.327 * 0.9653
=
-2.79
* 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.
Sales growth is not itself a measure of manipulation. However, growth companies are likely to find themselves under pressure to manipulate in order to keep up appearances.
DEPI greater than 1 indicates that assets are being depreciated at a slower rate. This suggests that the firm might be revising useful asset life assumptions upwards, or adopting a new method that is income friendly.
DEPI
=
(Depreciation_t-1 / (Depreciaton_t-1 + PPE_t-1))
/
(Depreciation_t / (Depreciaton_t + PPE_t))
=
(22.696 / (22.696 + 65.929))
/
(12.463 / (12.463 + 47.113))
=
0.25609
/
0.209195
=
1.2242
Note: If the Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization data is not available, we assume that the depreciation rate is constant and set the Depreciation Index to 1.
6. SGAI = Sales, General and Administrative expenses Index
Total accruals calculated as the change in working capital accounts other than cash less depreciation.
TATA
=
(IncomefromContinuingOperations_t
-
CashFlowsfromOperations_t)
/
TotalAssets_t
=
(NetIncome_t - NonOperatingIncome_t
-
CashFlowsfromOperations_t)
/
TotalAssets_t
=
(-13.78 - -9.42
-
0.75)
/
535.122
=
-0.009549
An M-Score of equal or less than -1.78 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator. An M-Score of greater than -1.78 signals that the company is likely to be a manipulator.
Lee Enterprises has a M-score of -2.79 suggests that the company is unlikely to be a manipulator.
Lee Enterprises (FRA:LE70) has a Beneish M-Score of -2.74 as of Jun. 26, 2026. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #374 out of 989 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 37.8%.
Is Lee Enterprises' Beneish M-Score too high?
Lee Enterprises' current Beneish M-Score is -2.74. Based on the distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #374 out of 989 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Lee Enterprises has a GF Score™ of 43/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lee Enterprises' Beneish M-Score compare to EDUC and TNMG?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #374 out of 989 companies for Beneish M-Score. This puts Lee Enterprises in the upper half of its industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Beneish M-Score for a Media - Diversified company?
A good Beneish M-Score depends on the Media - Diversified industry context. However, Beneish M-Score should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Beneish M-Score mean?
A high Beneish M-Score can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The Beneish M-score measures the likelihood of earnings manipulation. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. Lee Enterprises's current Beneish M-Score is -2.74. 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 (FRA:LE70) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €4.39, compared to a current price of €7.15 — trading 62.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Beneish M-Score is -2.74. 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 Beneish M-Score calculated?
Beneish M-Score is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lee Enterprises (FRA:LE70), the current Beneish M-Score is -2.74 as of Jun. 26, 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 (FRA:LE70) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lee Enterprises stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of €7.15 is trading 62.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of €4.39.
GuruFocus considers Lee Enterprises to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for FRA:LE70:
Beneish M-Score: -2.74
GF Value™: €4.39 vs. price of €7.15 (62.9% above fair value)
No single metric tells the full story. See the FRA:LE70 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.
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