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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.
Lee EnterprisesLEE +5.05%37 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is -1.50 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus rates LEE with a GF Score™ of 37/100 and a GF Value™ of $3.76 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 648 Media - Diversified companies, Lee Enterprises ranks better than 51.23% on this metric.
Shares Outstanding (EOP) are shares that have been authorized, issued, and purchased by investors and are held by them.
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. A positive ratio may indicate share buybacks over the period, while a zero or negative ratio may reflect no repurchases or potential share issuance. Lee Enterprises's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio was -1.50%.
LEE's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is ranked better than 51.23% of 648
companies
in the Media - Diversified industry
Industry Median: -1.5
vs LEE: -1.50
Lee Enterprises (NAS:LEE) 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Explanation
A negative number means the company might be issuing new shares. A positive number indicates that the company is buying back shares.
Be Aware
Investors usually like share buybacks. But as pointed by Warren Buffett, only if a company buys back shares at the prices below the stock's intrinsic value, it rewards remaining shareholders. If a company buys its overvalued stocks back, it destroys shareholder value.
Lee Enterprises 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Related Terms
LEE vs EDUC, IDWM, TNMG: 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Comparison
For the Publishing subindustry, Lee Enterprises's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio 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 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio vs Media - Diversified Industry
For the Media - Diversified industry and Communication Services sector, Lee Enterprises's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Lee Enterprises's 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio falls into.
Lee Enterprises 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio Calculation
This is the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. The annualized percentage change is calculated with least-square regression based on the latest six years of annual data on Shares Outstanding (EOP).
Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the average dividends per share growth rate.
What does a 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of -1.50 mean?
Lee Enterprises (LEE) has a 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio of -1.50 as of Jun. 2026. The 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. View historical data for Lee Enterprises and its competitors. According to the industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #316 out of 648 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, placing it in the top 48.8%.
Is Lee Enterprises' 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio too high?
Lee Enterprises' current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is -1.50. Based on the distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #316 out of 648 companies in the Media - Diversified industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, Lee Enterprises has a GF Score™ of 37/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Lee Enterprises' 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio compare to EDUC and IDWM?
According to the Media - Diversified industry distribution chart, Lee Enterprises ranks #316 out of 648 companies for 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio. 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 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio for a Media - Diversified company?
A good 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio depends on the Media - Diversified industry context. However, 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio 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 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio mean?
A high 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. The 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio measures the average annual proportion of a company's outstanding shares repurchased over the past five years. It is calculated as the annualized percentage change in shares outstanding from five years ago to the current year. View historical data for Lee Enterprises and its competitors. Lee Enterprises's current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is -1.50. 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 $3.76, compared to a current price of $8.57 — trading 127.9% above its estimated fair value. The current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is -1.50. Lee Enterprises' overall GF Score™ is 37/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio calculated?
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Lee Enterprises (LEE), the current 5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is -1.50 as of Jun. 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 $8.57 is trading 127.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $3.76.
GuruFocus considers Lee Enterprises to be Significantly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LEE:
5-Year Share Buyback Ratio: -1.50
GF Value™: $3.76 vs. price of $8.57 (127.9% above fair value)
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.
37GF Score
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5-Year Share Buyback Ratio is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.
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