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Side-by-side financial comparison of LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc (LEE) and WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP (WLFC). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($193.6M vs $130.1M, roughly 1.5× LEE ENTERPRISES, Inc). On growth, WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (26.7% vs -10.0%). WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP produced more free cash flow last quarter ($66.2M vs $3.7M). Over the past eight quarters, WILLIS LEASE FINANCE CORP's revenue compounded faster (27.5% 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.

Willis Lease Finance Corp is a leading global independent provider of commercial aviation asset solutions. It primarily leases and sells commercial aircraft engines, auxiliary power units and other aviation spare parts, serving airline operators, MRO providers and other aviation industry participants across major global markets.

LEE vs WLFC — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
WLFC
WLFC
1.5× larger
WLFC
$193.6M
$130.1M
LEE
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
WLFC
WLFC
+36.7% gap
WLFC
26.7%
-10.0%
LEE
More free cash flow
WLFC
WLFC
$62.5M more FCF
WLFC
$66.2M
$3.7M
LEE
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
WLFC
WLFC
Annualised
WLFC
27.5%
-5.8%
LEE

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Revenue
$130.1M
$193.6M
Net Profit
$-5.6M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
4.0%
7.3%
Net Margin
-4.3%
Revenue YoY
-10.0%
26.7%
Net Profit YoY
66.5%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.92
$1.50

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
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$130.1M
$193.6M
Q3 25
$139.1M
$183.4M
Q2 25
$141.3M
$195.5M
Q1 25
$137.4M
$157.7M
Q4 24
$144.6M
$152.8M
Q3 24
$158.6M
$146.2M
Q2 24
$150.6M
$151.1M
Q1 24
$146.6M
$119.1M
Net Profit
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$-5.6M
Q3 25
$-6.4M
$24.3M
Q2 25
$-1.9M
$60.4M
Q1 25
$-12.5M
$16.9M
Q4 24
$-16.7M
Q3 24
$-10.1M
$24.1M
Q2 24
$-4.3M
$42.6M
Q1 24
$-12.2M
$20.9M
Operating Margin
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
4.0%
7.3%
Q3 25
-1.0%
20.7%
Q2 25
3.3%
14.5%
Q1 25
-3.3%
15.2%
Q4 24
-2.3%
19.2%
Q3 24
-2.3%
23.0%
Q2 24
3.3%
35.8%
Q1 24
-3.1%
22.9%
Net Margin
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
-4.3%
Q3 25
-4.6%
13.3%
Q2 25
-1.4%
30.9%
Q1 25
-9.1%
10.7%
Q4 24
-11.6%
Q3 24
-6.4%
16.5%
Q2 24
-2.8%
28.2%
Q1 24
-8.3%
17.5%
EPS (diluted)
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$-0.92
$1.50
Q3 25
$-1.02
$3.25
Q2 25
$-0.31
$8.43
Q1 25
$-2.07
$2.21
Q4 24
$-2.80
$2.76
Q3 24
$-1.68
$3.37
Q2 24
$-0.73
$6.21
Q1 24
$-2.06
$3.00

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$12.6M
$16.4M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.7B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$-48.7M
$662.1M
Total Assets
$592.6M
$3.9B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
4.08×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$12.6M
$16.4M
Q3 25
$10.0M
$12.9M
Q2 25
$14.1M
$37.3M
Q1 25
$4.7M
$32.4M
Q4 24
$6.1M
$9.1M
Q3 24
$9.6M
$5.8M
Q2 24
$13.4M
$5.0M
Q1 24
$16.1M
$7.6M
Total Debt
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$2.7B
Q3 25
$2.2B
Q2 25
$2.8B
Q1 25
$2.2B
Q4 24
$2.3B
Q3 24
$2.0B
Q2 24
$1.9B
Q1 24
$1.7B
Stockholders' Equity
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$-48.7M
$662.1M
Q3 25
$-43.3M
$650.2M
Q2 25
$-40.5M
$617.9M
Q1 25
$-38.9M
$565.5M
Q4 24
$-26.7M
$549.3M
Q3 24
$-9.9M
$517.8M
Q2 24
$4.0M
$492.4M
Q1 24
$7.9M
$461.8M
Total Assets
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$592.6M
$3.9B
Q3 25
$601.7M
$3.4B
Q2 25
$622.7M
$3.9B
Q1 25
$623.9M
$3.3B
Q4 24
$633.0M
$3.3B
Q3 24
$649.2M
$3.0B
Q2 24
$677.5M
$2.9B
Q1 24
$684.8M
$2.7B
Debt / Equity
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
4.08×
Q3 25
3.44×
Q2 25
4.53×
Q1 25
3.95×
Q4 24
4.12×
Q3 24
3.84×
Q2 24
3.95×
Q1 24
3.76×

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
WLFC
WLFC
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$4.5M
$74.2M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$3.7M
$66.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
2.9%
34.2%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
0.6%
4.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$1.5M
$252.2M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$4.5M
$74.2M
Q3 25
$-6.3M
$63.9M
Q2 25
$8.9M
$104.2M
Q1 25
$-790.0K
$41.0M
Q4 24
$-7.3M
$68.0M
Q3 24
$-261.0K
$86.8M
Q2 24
$-1.9M
$69.8M
Q1 24
$3.2M
$59.8M
Free Cash Flow
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
$3.7M
$66.2M
Q3 25
$-8.3M
$57.8M
Q2 25
$8.3M
$94.5M
Q1 25
$-2.2M
$33.5M
Q4 24
$-8.9M
$55.1M
Q3 24
$-2.9M
$85.7M
Q2 24
$-5.5M
$68.5M
Q1 24
$1.3M
$59.4M
FCF Margin
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
2.9%
34.2%
Q3 25
-6.0%
31.5%
Q2 25
5.9%
48.4%
Q1 25
-1.6%
21.3%
Q4 24
-6.1%
36.1%
Q3 24
-1.8%
58.6%
Q2 24
-3.6%
45.3%
Q1 24
0.9%
49.9%
Capex Intensity
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
0.6%
4.1%
Q3 25
1.4%
3.3%
Q2 25
0.4%
4.9%
Q1 25
1.0%
4.7%
Q4 24
1.1%
8.4%
Q3 24
1.7%
0.7%
Q2 24
2.4%
0.9%
Q1 24
1.3%
0.3%
Cash Conversion
LEE
LEE
WLFC
WLFC
Q4 25
Q3 25
2.63×
Q2 25
1.73×
Q1 25
2.43×
Q4 24
Q3 24
3.60×
Q2 24
1.64×
Q1 24
2.87×

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%

WLFC
WLFC

Segment breakdown not available.

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