Lee Enterprises

After reporting an upswing in third quarter earnings Thursday (8/3), Lee Enterprises, Inc. executives told analysts the company will look to widen the use of cash flow beyond debt reduction and may seek additional print or digital acquisitions.

The Davenport-based media company acquired its Quad Cities newspaper competitor, The Dispatch-Argus, in June for $7 million. The Dispatch-Argus primarily served the Illinois Quad Cities (East Moline, Moline and Rock Island), while the Quad City Times serves mainly readers in the Iowa Quad Cities (Bettendorf and Davenport).

"We expect the acquisition to be accretive to earnings and free cash flow in our September (4th) quarter," President and Chief Executive Officer Kevin Mowbray said. "The transition is off to a good start and we are pleased with the contributions we are already seeing from the Dispatch-Argus."

More than 150 years of newspaper competition in the Quad Cities will draw to an end later this month with purchase of the Dispatch-Argus and its digital portal QCOnline.com by Lee Enterprises, Inc., owner of the Quad City Times.

The $7.15 million acquisition (including an adjustment for working capital) was announced today (6/19) and is expected to close by the end of the month.

CLICK HERE for observations on the newspaper sale by John Beydler, who recently retired from the Dispatch-Argus after a career of more than 40 years.

A Stamford, CT investment firm that specializes in "stressed, distressed and out of favor companies" has acquired a 6.9 percent stake in Lee Enterprises, the Davenport-based media company which owns the Quad City Times.

Archview Investment Group L.P. reported today (2/14) that it had acquired 3.8 million shares of Lee stock as of Dec. 31, 2016. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) rules require disclosure when an individual or company acquires 5 percent or more ownership in a publicly traded firm.

Subscribers to the Quad City Times Sunday newspaper have fallen to 37,473, half the paper's circulation just 15 years ago.

And, for the first time, according to the Lee Enterprises, Inc. annual report to shareholders, Sunday circulation fell below that of the average circulation for its weekday editions.

Historically, Sunday papers typically have had much larger circulation than weekday editions. More advertising, ad circulars and more space for news have attracted readers to purchase single copies or opt for a Sunday- or weekend-only subscription.