Lee Enterprises (STU:LE7) Return-on-Tangible-Asset: -3.72% (As of Mar. 2026)

Author: Vera Yuan Vera Yuan
Vera Yuan
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Director of Data and Quant Analytics at GuruFocus
Focused on building reliable datasets, financial models, and research tools for value-minded investors. Committed to turning complex data into practical guidance for value-investing and long-term wealth.
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Dr. Charlie Tian is the founder and CEO of GuruFocus.com, a leading global investment research platform established in 2004. With a Ph.D. in physics, Dr. Tian transitioned from science to finance, applying a data-driven, disciplined approach to value investing.

STU:LE7 Lee Enterprises Inc STU:LE7
55 GF Score
Price €6.50
GF Value €4.00
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 6 Warning Signs
View Full Analysis

What is Lee Enterprises Return-on-Tangible-Asset?

Lee Enterprises STU:LE7 -1.52% 55 Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -3.72% as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates STU:LE7 with a GF Score™ of 55/100 and a GF Value™ of €4.00 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,032 Media - Diversified companies, Lee Enterprises ranks worse than 71.03% on this metric.

Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated as Net Income divided by its average total tangible assets. Total tangible assets equals to Total Assets minus Intangible Assets. Lee Enterprises's annualized Net Income for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €-7.4 Mil. Lee Enterprises's average total tangible assets for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was €199.9 Mil. Therefore, Lee Enterprises's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Asset for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was -3.72%.

The historical rank and industry rank for Lee Enterprises's Return-on-Tangible-Asset or its related term are showing as below:

STU:LE7' s Return-on-Tangible-Asset Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: -15.76   Med: 2.9   Max: 20.45
Current: -6.9

During the past 13 years, Lee Enterprises's highest Return-on-Tangible-Asset was 20.45%. The lowest was -15.76%. And the median was 2.90%.

STU:LE7's Return-on-Tangible-Asset is ranked worse than
71.03% of 1032 companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: 0.82 vs STU:LE7: -6.90

Lee Enterprises  (STU:LE7) Return-on-Tangible-Asset Explanation

Return-on-Tangible-Asset measures the rate of return on the average total tangible assets (total assets minus intangible assets). Tangible means physical in nature. Intangible Assets are assets that are not physical in nature, and typically "derive their value from legal or intellectual rights." Return-on-Tangible-Asset measures a firm's efficiency at generating profits from its tangible assets. It shows how well a company uses what it has to generate earnings. Return-on-Tangible-Assets can vary drastically across industries. Therefore, Return-on-Tangible-Asset should not be used to compare companies in different industries.


Be Aware

Like ROE and ROA, Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated with only 12 months data. Fluctuations in the company’s earnings or business cycles can affect the ratio drastically. It is important to look at the ratio from a long term perspective. Return-on-Tangible-Asset can be affected by events such as stock buyback or issuance, and by a company’s tax rate and its interest payment. Return-on-Tangible-Asset may not reflect the true earning power of the assets. A more accurate measurement is ROC % (ROC).

Many analysts argue the higher return the better. Buffett states that really high Return-on-Tangible-Asset may indicate vulnerability in the durability of the competitive advantage.


Lee Enterprises Return-on-Tangible-Asset Related Terms


Lee Enterprises Return-on-Tangible-Asset Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Lee Enterprises's Return-on-Tangible-Asset 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 Return-on-Tangible-Asset Chart

Lee Enterprises Annual Data
Trend Sep16 Sep17 Sep18 Sep19 Sep20 Sep21 Sep22 Sep23 Sep24 Sep25
Return-on-Tangible-Asset
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 6.41 -0.68 -1.75 -9.40 -15.30

Lee Enterprises Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Return-on-Tangible-Asset Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -20.54 -3.13 -10.96 -10.11 -3.72

STU:LE7 vs EDUC, IDWM, TNMG: Return-on-Tangible-Asset Comparison

For the Publishing subindustry, Lee Enterprises's Return-on-Tangible-Asset, along with its competitors' market caps and Return-on-Tangible-Asset 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 Return-on-Tangible-Asset vs Media - Diversified Industry

For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Lee Enterprises's Return-on-Tangible-Asset distribution charts can be found below:

* The bar in red indicates where Lee Enterprises's Return-on-Tangible-Asset falls into.


STU:LE7
55GF Score
Lee Enterprises Inc STU:LE7
Return-on-Tangible-Asset is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
View Full Analysis

Lee Enterprises Return-on-Tangible-Asset Calculation

Lee Enterprises's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Asset for the fiscal year that ended in Sep. 2025 is calculated as:

Return-on-Tangible-Asset=Net Income/( (Total Tangible Assets+Total Tangible Assets)/ count )
(A: Sep. 2025 )  (A: Sep. 2024 )(A: Sep. 2025 )
=Net Income/( (Total Assets - Intangible Assets+Total Assets - Intangible Assets)/ count )
(A: Sep. 2025 )  (A: Sep. 2024 )(A: Sep. 2025 )
=-32.029/( (226.201+192.505)/ 2 )
=-32.029/209.353
=-15.30 %

Lee Enterprises's annualized Return-on-Tangible-Asset for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Return-on-Tangible-Asset=Net Income/( (Total Tangible Assets+Total Tangible Assets)/ count )
(Q: Mar. 2026 )  (Q: Dec. 2025 )(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=Net Income/( (Total Assets - Intangible Assets+Total Assets - Intangible Assets)/ count )
(Q: Mar. 2026 )  (Q: Dec. 2025 )(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=-7.432/( (186.642+213.138)/ 2 )
=-7.432/199.89
=-3.72 %

* 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.

In the calculation of annual Return-on-Tangible-Asset, the net income of the last fiscal year and the average total tangible assets over the fiscal year are used. In calculating the quarterly data, the Net Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) net income data.

What does a Return-on-Tangible-Asset of -3.72% mean?
Lee Enterprises (STU:LE7) has a Return-on-Tangible-Asset of -3.72% as of Mar. 2026. Return on tangible assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible assets. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #733 out of 1032 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 71%.
Is Lee Enterprises' Return-on-Tangible-Asset too high?
Lee Enterprises' current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -3.72%. Based on the distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #733 out of 1032 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is below the industry midpoint. Overall, Lee Enterprises has a GF Score™ of 55/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lee Enterprises' Return-on-Tangible-Asset compare to EDUC and IDWM?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #733 out of 1032 companies for Return-on-Tangible-Asset. This places Lee Enterprises in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Return-on-Tangible-Asset is 0.82. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Return-on-Tangible-Asset for a Media - Diversified company?
The median Return-on-Tangible-Asset among Media - Diversified companies is 0.82, based on 1,032 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Return-on-Tangible-Asset significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Return-on-Tangible-Asset 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 Return-on-Tangible-Asset mean?
A high Return-on-Tangible-Asset can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Return on tangible assets is the ratio of current-period net income to average two-period tangible assets. View historical data on Lee Enterprises and its competitors. For the Media - Diversified industry, the median Return-on-Tangible-Asset is 0.82 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Lee Enterprises's current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -3.72%. 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 (STU:LE7) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is €4.00, compared to a current price of €6.50 — trading 62.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -3.72%. Lee Enterprises' overall GF Score™ is 55/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Return-on-Tangible-Asset calculated?
Return-on-Tangible-Asset is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lee Enterprises (STU:LE7), the current Return-on-Tangible-Asset is -3.72% 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 (STU:LE7) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Lee Enterprises stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of €6.50 is trading 62.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of €4.00. GuruFocus considers Lee Enterprises to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for STU:LE7:

  • Return-on-Tangible-Asset: -3.72%
  • GF Value™: €4.00 vs. price of €6.50 (62.5% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 55/100 with 6 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:LE7 stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Lee Enterprises Business Description

Other Exchanges LEE:USA
Address 4600 E 53rd Street, Davenport, IA, USA, 52807
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.
55GF Score

Get the complete analysis for STU:LE7

Return-on-Tangible-Asset is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

€6.50
Price
€4.00
GF Value