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Side-by-side financial comparison of LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc (LEE) and ROCKY BRANDS, INC. (RCKY). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

ROCKY BRANDS, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($139.7M vs $130.1M, roughly 1.1× LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc). ROCKY BRANDS, INC. runs the higher net margin — 4.7% vs -4.3%, a 9.0% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, ROCKY BRANDS, INC. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (9.1% vs -10.0%). ROCKY BRANDS, INC. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($16.7M vs $3.7M). Over the past eight quarters, ROCKY BRANDS, INC.'s revenue compounded faster (11.2% CAGR vs -5.8%).

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.

Rocky Brands, Inc., formerly known as Rocky Shoes & Boots, Inc., is a company which designs, develops, manufactures, and markets outdoor, work, western and military footwear, and other outdoor and work apparel and accessories. The company was founded in 1932 in Nelsonville, Ohio, and still maintains its corporate headquarters there.

LEE vs RCKY — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
RCKY
RCKY
1.1× larger
RCKY
$139.7M
$130.1M
LEE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
RCKY
RCKY
+19.1% gap
RCKY
9.1%
-10.0%
LEE
Higher net margin
RCKY
RCKY
9.0% more per $
RCKY
4.7%
-4.3%
LEE
More free cash flow
RCKY
RCKY
$13.0M more FCF
RCKY
$16.7M
$3.7M
LEE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
RCKY
RCKY
Annualised
RCKY
11.2%
-5.8%
LEE

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Revenue
$130.1M
$139.7M
Net Profit
$-5.6M
$6.5M
Gross Margin
41.3%
Operating Margin
4.0%
6.9%
Net Margin
-4.3%
4.7%
Revenue YoY
-10.0%
9.1%
Net Profit YoY
66.5%
35.7%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.92
$0.86

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
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$130.1M
$139.7M
Q3 25
$139.1M
$122.5M
Q2 25
$141.3M
$105.6M
Q1 25
$137.4M
$114.1M
Q4 24
$144.6M
$128.1M
Q3 24
$158.6M
$114.6M
Q2 24
$150.6M
$98.3M
Q1 24
$146.6M
$112.9M
Net Profit
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$-5.6M
$6.5M
Q3 25
$-6.4M
$7.2M
Q2 25
$-1.9M
$3.6M
Q1 25
$-12.5M
$4.9M
Q4 24
$-16.7M
$4.8M
Q3 24
$-10.1M
$5.3M
Q2 24
$-4.3M
$-1.2M
Q1 24
$-12.2M
$2.5M
Gross Margin
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
41.3%
Q3 25
40.2%
Q2 25
41.0%
Q1 25
41.2%
Q4 24
41.5%
Q3 24
38.1%
Q2 24
38.7%
Q1 24
39.1%
Operating Margin
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
4.0%
6.9%
Q3 25
-1.0%
9.6%
Q2 25
3.3%
6.8%
Q1 25
-3.3%
7.6%
Q4 24
-2.3%
6.6%
Q3 24
-2.3%
8.8%
Q2 24
3.3%
4.6%
Q1 24
-3.1%
7.1%
Net Margin
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
-4.3%
4.7%
Q3 25
-4.6%
5.9%
Q2 25
-1.4%
3.4%
Q1 25
-9.1%
4.3%
Q4 24
-11.6%
3.7%
Q3 24
-6.4%
4.6%
Q2 24
-2.8%
-1.3%
Q1 24
-8.3%
2.3%
EPS (diluted)
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$-0.92
$0.86
Q3 25
$-1.02
$0.96
Q2 25
$-0.31
$0.48
Q1 25
$-2.07
$0.66
Q4 24
$-2.80
$0.65
Q3 24
$-1.68
$0.70
Q2 24
$-0.73
$-0.17
Q1 24
$-2.06
$0.34

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$12.6M
$2.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$122.6M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$-48.7M
$252.1M
Total Assets
$592.6M
$477.5M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.49×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$12.6M
$2.9M
Q3 25
$10.0M
$3.3M
Q2 25
$14.1M
$2.8M
Q1 25
$4.7M
$2.6M
Q4 24
$6.1M
$3.7M
Q3 24
$9.6M
$3.7M
Q2 24
$13.4M
$4.1M
Q1 24
$16.1M
$3.1M
Total Debt
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$122.6M
Q3 25
$139.0M
Q2 25
$132.5M
Q1 25
$128.6M
Q4 24
$128.7M
Q3 24
$150.3M
Q2 24
$152.4M
Q1 24
$156.0M
Stockholders' Equity
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$-48.7M
$252.1M
Q3 25
$-43.3M
$246.1M
Q2 25
$-40.5M
$239.1M
Q1 25
$-38.9M
$236.2M
Q4 24
$-26.7M
$232.2M
Q3 24
$-9.9M
$228.3M
Q2 24
$4.0M
$223.8M
Q1 24
$7.9M
$225.3M
Total Assets
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$592.6M
$477.5M
Q3 25
$601.7M
$494.0M
Q2 25
$622.7M
$471.0M
Q1 25
$623.9M
$468.2M
Q4 24
$633.0M
$457.3M
Q3 24
$649.2M
$475.0M
Q2 24
$677.5M
$467.9M
Q1 24
$684.8M
$466.5M
Debt / Equity
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
0.49×
Q3 25
0.57×
Q2 25
0.55×
Q1 25
0.54×
Q4 24
0.55×
Q3 24
0.66×
Q2 24
0.68×
Q1 24
0.69×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$4.5M
$17.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$3.7M
$16.7M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
2.9%
12.0%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.6%
0.6%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
2.70×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.5M
$9.7M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$4.5M
$17.6M
Q3 25
$-6.3M
$-3.3M
Q2 25
$8.9M
$812.0K
Q1 25
$-790.0K
$1.2M
Q4 24
$-7.3M
$24.4M
Q3 24
$-261.0K
$4.5M
Q2 24
$-1.9M
$6.5M
Q1 24
$3.2M
$17.4M
Free Cash Flow
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
$3.7M
$16.7M
Q3 25
$-8.3M
$-5.2M
Q2 25
$8.3M
$-2.4M
Q1 25
$-2.2M
$529.0K
Q4 24
$-8.9M
$22.9M
Q3 24
$-2.9M
$3.5M
Q2 24
$-5.5M
$4.6M
Q1 24
$1.3M
$17.1M
FCF Margin
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
2.9%
12.0%
Q3 25
-6.0%
-4.2%
Q2 25
5.9%
-2.2%
Q1 25
-1.6%
0.5%
Q4 24
-6.1%
17.9%
Q3 24
-1.8%
3.0%
Q2 24
-3.6%
4.7%
Q1 24
0.9%
15.2%
Capex Intensity
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
0.6%
0.6%
Q3 25
1.4%
1.5%
Q2 25
0.4%
3.0%
Q1 25
1.0%
0.6%
Q4 24
1.1%
1.2%
Q3 24
1.7%
0.9%
Q2 24
2.4%
1.9%
Q1 24
1.3%
0.2%
Cash Conversion
LEE
LEE
RCKY
RCKY
Q4 25
2.70×
Q3 25
-0.46×
Q2 25
0.23×
Q1 25
0.25×
Q4 24
5.08×
Q3 24
0.85×
Q2 24
Q1 24
6.82×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

LEE
LEE

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

RCKY
RCKY

Wholesale$79.6M57%
Retail1$57.0M41%
Contract Manufacturing$3.2M2%

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