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Side-by-side financial comparison of AMERICAN STATES WATER CO (AWR) and LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc (LEE). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

AMERICAN STATES WATER CO is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($164.3M vs $130.1M, roughly 1.3× LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc). AMERICAN STATES WATER CO runs the higher net margin — 17.5% vs -4.3%, a 21.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, AMERICAN STATES WATER CO posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (14.8% vs -10.0%). LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc produced more free cash flow last quarter ($3.7M vs $-36.0M). Over the past eight quarters, AMERICAN STATES WATER CO's revenue compounded faster (10.2% CAGR vs -5.8%).

American Water is an American public utility company that, through its subsidiaries, provides water and wastewater services in the United States.

Lee Enterprises, Inc. is a publicly traded American media company. It publishes 72 daily newspapers in 25 states, and more than 350 weekly, classified, and specialty publications. Lee Enterprises was founded in 1890 by Alfred Wilson Lee and is based in Davenport, Iowa.

AWR vs LEE — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
AWR
AWR
1.3× larger
AWR
$164.3M
$130.1M
LEE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
AWR
AWR
+24.8% gap
AWR
14.8%
-10.0%
LEE
Higher net margin
AWR
AWR
21.8% more per $
AWR
17.5%
-4.3%
LEE
More free cash flow
LEE
LEE
$39.7M more FCF
LEE
$3.7M
$-36.0M
AWR
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
AWR
AWR
Annualised
AWR
10.2%
-5.8%
LEE

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Revenue
$164.3M
$130.1M
Net Profit
$28.7M
$-5.6M
Gross Margin
88.9%
Operating Margin
27.4%
4.0%
Net Margin
17.5%
-4.3%
Revenue YoY
14.8%
-10.0%
Net Profit YoY
1.1%
66.5%
EPS (diluted)
$0.74
$-0.92

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$164.3M
$130.1M
Q3 25
$182.7M
$139.1M
Q2 25
$163.1M
$141.3M
Q1 25
$148.0M
$137.4M
Q4 24
$143.1M
$144.6M
Q3 24
$161.8M
$158.6M
Q2 24
$155.3M
$150.6M
Q1 24
$135.3M
$146.6M
Net Profit
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$28.7M
$-5.6M
Q3 25
$41.2M
$-6.4M
Q2 25
$33.7M
$-1.9M
Q1 25
$26.8M
$-12.5M
Q4 24
$28.4M
$-16.7M
Q3 24
$35.8M
$-10.1M
Q2 24
$31.9M
$-4.3M
Q1 24
$23.1M
$-12.2M
Gross Margin
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
88.9%
Q3 25
91.0%
Q2 25
92.1%
Q1 25
91.3%
Q4 24
92.4%
Q3 24
92.7%
Q2 24
89.6%
Q1 24
88.4%
Operating Margin
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
27.4%
4.0%
Q3 25
33.8%
-1.0%
Q2 25
31.3%
3.3%
Q1 25
30.8%
-3.3%
Q4 24
27.0%
-2.3%
Q3 24
34.0%
-2.3%
Q2 24
33.3%
3.3%
Q1 24
28.8%
-3.1%
Net Margin
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
17.5%
-4.3%
Q3 25
22.5%
-4.6%
Q2 25
20.7%
-1.4%
Q1 25
18.1%
-9.1%
Q4 24
19.9%
-11.6%
Q3 24
22.1%
-6.4%
Q2 24
20.5%
-2.8%
Q1 24
17.1%
-8.3%
EPS (diluted)
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$0.74
$-0.92
Q3 25
$1.06
$-1.02
Q2 25
$0.87
$-0.31
Q1 25
$0.70
$-2.07
Q4 24
$0.75
$-2.80
Q3 24
$0.95
$-1.68
Q2 24
$0.85
$-0.73
Q1 24
$0.62
$-2.06

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$18.8M
$12.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$782.7M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.0B
$-48.7M
Total Assets
$2.7B
$592.6M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.75×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$18.8M
$12.6M
Q3 25
$26.1M
$10.0M
Q2 25
$20.2M
$14.1M
Q1 25
$21.2M
$4.7M
Q4 24
$26.7M
$6.1M
Q3 24
$16.5M
$9.6M
Q2 24
$3.6M
$13.4M
Q1 24
$17.0M
$16.1M
Total Debt
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$782.7M
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
$640.4M
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24
Stockholders' Equity
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$1.0B
$-48.7M
Q3 25
$1.0B
$-43.3M
Q2 25
$972.5M
$-40.5M
Q1 25
$956.4M
$-38.9M
Q4 24
$920.1M
$-26.7M
Q3 24
$879.5M
$-9.9M
Q2 24
$833.5M
$4.0M
Q1 24
$800.5M
$7.9M
Total Assets
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$2.7B
$592.6M
Q3 25
$2.7B
$601.7M
Q2 25
$2.6B
$622.7M
Q1 25
$2.5B
$623.9M
Q4 24
$2.5B
$633.0M
Q3 24
$2.4B
$649.2M
Q2 24
$2.3B
$677.5M
Q1 24
$2.3B
$684.8M
Debt / Equity
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
0.75×
Q3 25
Q2 25
Q1 25
Q4 24
0.70×
Q3 24
Q2 24
Q1 24

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$27.7M
$4.5M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-36.0M
$3.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-21.9%
2.9%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
38.8%
0.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
0.96×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$-7.1M
$1.5M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$27.7M
$4.5M
Q3 25
$92.4M
$-6.3M
Q2 25
$64.6M
$8.9M
Q1 25
$45.1M
$-790.0K
Q4 24
$64.5M
$-7.3M
Q3 24
$63.7M
$-261.0K
Q2 24
$24.7M
$-1.9M
Q1 24
$45.8M
$3.2M
Free Cash Flow
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
$-36.0M
$3.7M
Q3 25
$37.7M
$-8.3M
Q2 25
$13.7M
$8.3M
Q1 25
$-22.5M
$-2.2M
Q4 24
$6.0M
$-8.9M
Q3 24
$-478.0K
$-2.9M
Q2 24
$-37.0M
$-5.5M
Q1 24
$-1.7M
$1.3M
FCF Margin
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
-21.9%
2.9%
Q3 25
20.7%
-6.0%
Q2 25
8.4%
5.9%
Q1 25
-15.2%
-1.6%
Q4 24
4.2%
-6.1%
Q3 24
-0.3%
-1.8%
Q2 24
-23.8%
-3.6%
Q1 24
-1.3%
0.9%
Capex Intensity
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
38.8%
0.6%
Q3 25
29.9%
1.4%
Q2 25
31.2%
0.4%
Q1 25
45.6%
1.0%
Q4 24
40.9%
1.1%
Q3 24
39.7%
1.7%
Q2 24
39.8%
2.4%
Q1 24
35.2%
1.3%
Cash Conversion
AWR
AWR
LEE
LEE
Q4 25
0.96×
Q3 25
2.24×
Q2 25
1.92×
Q1 25
1.68×
Q4 24
2.27×
Q3 24
1.78×
Q2 24
0.78×
Q1 24
1.98×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

AWR
AWR

Water Service Utility Operations$110.0M67%
Public Utilities Inventory Water$22.3M14%
Wastewater$15.9M10%
Electric Service Utility Operations$15.2M9%

LEE
LEE

Advertising And Marketing Services$60.0M46%
Subscription And Circulation$57.7M44%
Other$12.4M10%

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