Short Interest in MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) Increases By 19.3%

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) was the recipient of a large growth in short interest in the month of March. As of March 13th, there was short interest totaling 1,062,760 shares, a growth of 19.3% from the February 26th total of 891,079 shares. Approximately 2.1% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 647,462 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.6 days.

MercadoLibre Price Performance

Shares of MELI opened at $1,718.97 on Thursday. MercadoLibre has a twelve month low of $1,593.21 and a twelve month high of $2,645.22. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $1,879.12 and its two-hundred day moving average is $2,051.08. The firm has a market capitalization of $87.15 billion, a PE ratio of 43.63, a P/E/G ratio of 0.87 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $11.03 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $11.66 by ($0.63). The business had revenue of $8.76 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $8.45 billion. MercadoLibre had a return on equity of 33.73% and a net margin of 6.91%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 44.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $12.61 earnings per share. Research analysts anticipate that MercadoLibre will post 43.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting MercadoLibre

Here are the key news stories impacting MercadoLibre this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AI-driven advertising is gaining traction at MercadoLibre, boosting ad spend and revenue visibility; this could lift margins and recurring monetization if adoption continues. Can AI-Driven Advertising Growth Unlock Further Upside for MELI? Zacks: AI-Driven Ad Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst commentary and bullish write-ups highlight attractive long-term positioning in e-commerce + fintech across Latin America, supporting upside case for patient investors. Seeking Alpha: Attractively Positioned
• Positive Sentiment: Macro/geopolitical headlines briefly lifted risk assets — MercadoLibre saw an intraday jump after comments signaling a possible de-escalation in the Middle East, showing sensitivity to global risk sentiment. Why MELI Stock Is Up Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Generation Investment Management’s portfolio commentary includes MELI perspectives — useful context on investor sentiment but not an immediate catalyst. Generation Investment Management Views
• Negative Sentiment: Mercado Pago is discontinuing its branded cryptocurrency, Mercado Coin — a sign the company is pulling back from a non-core crypto play; this reduces one product line and could raise questions about prior investments and roadmap execution. Reuters: Mercado Coin Terminated
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation and recent quarterly results remain near-term headwinds — revenue beat but EPS missed expectations, and the stock has pulled back from recent highs as investors weigh margin pressure and execution vs. lofty multiples. Does MELI Offer Value?

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on MELI. BTIG Research decreased their price objective on MercadoLibre from $2,650.00 to $2,400.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 20th. Itau BBA Securities reissued an “outperform” rating on shares of MercadoLibre in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group cut their price target on MercadoLibre from $2,900.00 to $2,700.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded MercadoLibre from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $2,650.00 to $2,100.00 in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their price objective on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,750.00 to $2,400.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $2,708.67.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MercadoLibre

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of MELI. Bison Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of MercadoLibre during the 4th quarter worth $206,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 760 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,483,000 after purchasing an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its stake in shares of MercadoLibre by 42.0% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 602 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,176,000 after purchasing an additional 178 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the second quarter worth about $261,000. Finally, Prudential Financial Inc. boosted its holdings in MercadoLibre by 19.5% during the second quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 588 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,537,000 after buying an additional 96 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.62% of the company’s stock.

MercadoLibre Company Profile

MercadoLibre, Inc operates an integrated e-commerce and fintech ecosystem serving consumers and businesses across Latin America. The company provides an online marketplace that connects buyers and sellers for a wide range of goods and services, supported by tools for merchants, advertising, and classifieds. Over time MercadoLibre has expanded beyond its marketplace roots into complementary areas that support digital commerce end to end.

Key offerings include its marketplace platform and a suite of logistics and payment services.