{"id":959595,"date":"2026-05-07T07:20:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:20:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/lee-enterprises-reports-strong-second-quarter-results\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T07:20:11","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T11:20:11","slug":"lee-enterprises-reports-strong-second-quarter-results","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.marketnewsdesk.com\/index.php\/lee-enterprises-reports-strong-second-quarter-results\/","title":{"rendered":"Lee Enterprises Reports Strong Second Quarter Results"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

95% YOY Adjusted EBITDA(1)<\/sup> growth in Q2
Digital revenue(2)<\/sup> represents 56% of total revenue in Q2
Improved capital structure; $53M in cash & interest rate(3) <\/sup>reduced to 5%
Reaffirms guidance of YOY Adjusted EBITDA growth in FY26<\/p>\n

DAVENPORT, Iowa, May 07, 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 114 markets, today reported preliminary second quarter fiscal 2026 financial results(4)<\/sup> for the period ended March 29, 2026.<\/p>\n

“Our second quarter results reflect continued momentum in the business and disciplined execution across our operations,” said Nathan Bekke, Lee\u2019s President and Chief Executive Officer. “Adjusted EBITDA increased $7 million, or 95%, over the prior year quarter, marking our fourth consecutive quarter of Adjusted EBITDA growth on a comparable basis(5)<\/sup>. Our 2026 results continue to benefit from insurance reimbursements related to last year’s cyber event, contributing $4 million to Adjusted EBITDA in the quarter. Excluding these reimbursements, our underlying operating performance still drove Adjusted EBITDA growth of 45% year-over-year, highlighting the strength of our core business. These results reinforce our confidence that we will deliver year-over-year Adjusted EBITDA growth in fiscal 2026, while highlighting the resilience, momentum and ongoing evolution of our business model.”<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the quarter, we continued to take proactive steps to align our cost structure with the ongoing shift in our revenue mix,\u201d added Bekke. \u201cThese actions include further optimization of our operating footprint, streamlining of workflows, reduction in corporate overhead and continued prioritization of investments that support digital growth. As a result, we are realizing meaningful efficiencies while maintaining our focus on delivering high-quality local journalism and content. We expect these efforts to continue supporting margin improvement and enhancing the scalability of our business over time.\u201d<\/p>\n

“We are also beginning to realize benefits from the strategic investment completed in February,” said Bekke. “The amendment to our credit agreement reduced our interest rate mid-quarter, which will drive meaningful interest expense savings going forward. We expect these savings to total approximately $18 million annually, or up to $90 million over the next five years, further strengthening our capital structure and enhancing our financial flexibility as we continue to invest in digital growth. Additionally, we finished the quarter with $53 million in cash on our balance sheet, up $49 million year-over-year. This improved liquidity, combined with lower interest expense, positions us well to accelerate our strategic priorities and further strengthen our balance sheet over time.”<\/p>\n

“Net loss for the quarter totaled $2 million, an improvement of $10 million, or 86%, compared to the prior year quarter. The year-over-year improvement was driven by higher Adjusted EBITDA, lower interest expense following the strategic investment, and continued cost discipline,” added Bekke.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur progress continues to reflect the strength of our strategy and advances we are making in our digital transformation,” Bekke added. “We remain focused on expanding recurring digital revenue while maintaining disciplined cost management to support margin improvement. We are highly encouraged by our performance through the first half of the fiscal year and remain confident in our strategy and our ability to deliver continued growth in the quarters ahead.”<\/p>\n

\n
\n For the second quarter ended March 29, 2026:<\/em>
\n <\/strong>\n <\/p>\n