Lee Enterprises (LEE) Return on Capital Employed (2011 - 2026)
Lee Enterprises' (LEE) quarterly Return on Capital Employed came in at 3.34% in Q1 2026, up 463.0% YoY from 0.59% in Q1 2025, and up 314.52% on a QoQ basis from 0.81% in Q4 2025.
Lee Enterprises (LEE) Return on Capital Employed (2011 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Lee Enterprises (LEE) has 16 years of Return on Capital Employed data on file, last reported at 3.34% in Q1 2026.
- Quarterly Return on Capital Employed rose 463.0% year-over-year to 3.34% in Q1 2026, while the trailing twelve-month figure through Mar 2026 was 3.34% (up 463.0% YoY) and the FY2025 annual result came in at 0.91%, down 171.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed climbed to 3.34% in Q1 2026, from 0.81% in the prior quarter.
- In the past five years, Return on Capital Employed ranged from a high of 7.3% in Q1 2022 to a low of 1.36% in Q2 2025.
- A 5-year average of 2.7% and a median of 3.34% in 2026 frame the typical range for Return on Capital Employed.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2024 — Return on Capital Employed plunged 696 bps — and 2026, when it surged 463 bps.
- Tracing LEE's Return on Capital Employed over 5 years: stood at 1.79% in 2022, then jumped by 218 bps to 5.69% in 2023, then sank by 122 bps to 1.27% in 2024, then surged by 163 bps to 0.81% in 2025, then jumped by 315 bps to 3.34% in 2026.
- The last three Return on Capital Employed figures came in at 3.34% (Q1 2026), 0.81% (Q4 2025), and 0.93% (Q3 2025), per Business Quant data.
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Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Times | 10.72 Bn | 10.06 Bn | 394.61 Mn | 20.95% |
| 2 | Pearson | 10.59 Bn | 9.97 Bn | 1.18 Bn | 10.19% |
| 3 | John Wiley & Sons | 2.72 Bn | 2.64 Bn | 337.86 Mn | 15.40% |
| 4 | Usa Today | 967.00 Mn | 880.35 Mn | 208.25 Mn | 19.47% |
| 5 | Scholastic | 952.50 Mn | 817.60 Mn | 285.70 Mn | 1.30% |
| 6 | Lee Enterprises | 178.08 Mn | 118.65 Mn | 63.89 Mn | 4.04% |
| 7 | Educational Development | 11.58 Mn | 9.77 Mn | 2.82 Mn | -14.51% |
| 8 | TNL Mediagene | 672,850.90 | -1.26 Mn | - | - |
Historic Data
Download Data| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 28, 2026 | 4.04% |
| Mar 29, 2026 | 3.34% |
| Dec 28, 2025 | 0.81% |
| Sep 28, 2025 | -0.93% |
| Jun 29, 2025 | -1.36% |
| Mar 30, 2025 | -1.29% |
| Dec 29, 2024 | -1.27% |
| Sep 29, 2024 | 0.83% |
| Jun 23, 2024 | 3.35% |
| Mar 24, 2024 | 4.52% |
| Dec 24, 2023 | 5.69% |
| Sep 24, 2023 | 6.17% |
| Jun 25, 2023 | 3.77% |
| Mar 26, 2023 | 2.79% |
| Dec 25, 2022 | 1.79% |
| Sep 25, 2022 | 3.89% |
| Jun 26, 2022 | 6.42% |
| Mar 27, 2022 | 7.30% |
| Dec 26, 2021 | 8.74% |
| Sep 26, 2021 | 5.52% |