MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI Stock: SBI Securities Co. Ltd. Lowers Position

SBI Securities Co. Ltd. lowered its position in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) by 81.1% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 100 shares of the company’s stock after selling 430 shares during the period. SBI Securities Co. Ltd.’s holdings in MercadoLibre were worth $173,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Wedbush Fund Advisers LLC bought a new position in shares of MercadoLibre during the 2nd quarter valued at about $29,000. Twin Lakes Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of MercadoLibre during the 2nd quarter valued at about $31,000. Markowski Investments bought a new stake in MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $36,000. Byrne Asset Management LLC bought a new stake in MercadoLibre in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $40,000. Finally, Continuum Advisory LLC bought a new stake in MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $44,000. 87.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

MercadoLibre Trading Up 0.7%

Shares of NASDAQ:MELI opened at $1,680.51 on Wednesday. The stock has a market capitalization of $85.20 billion, a P/E ratio of 45.70 and a beta of 1.31. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $1,853.69 and its 200-day moving average price is $1,823.64. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a 12-month low of $1,495.00 and a 12-month high of $2,428.00.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) last released its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported $9.19 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.65 by $0.54. The company had revenue of $10.17 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.79 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $10.31 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 49.8% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts predict that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 38.09 EPS for the current year.

MercadoLibre News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting MercadoLibre this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Citigroup upgraded MercadoLibre from Neutral to Buy and set a $2,050 price target, implying roughly 22% upside from the referenced price. Although the target was reduced from $2,100, the upgrade signals improving risk-reward following the recent decline. Citigroup upgrades MercadoLibre stock
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG maintained its $2,150 target, while other analysts described the post-election weakness as a buying opportunity. The bullish case rests on MercadoLibre’s strong marketplace growth, rising buyer engagement and logistics expansion. BTIG maintains MercadoLibre price target
• Positive Sentiment: MercadoLibre recently reported record revenue, with quarterly sales up nearly 50% year over year and exceeding analyst expectations. Two Wall Street analysts see potential for gains of up to 50% if the company converts strong revenue growth into improving margins. Wall Street analysts see upside for MercadoLibre
• Neutral Sentiment: The central debate is profitability: e-commerce, fintech and logistics growth remain robust, but margin pressure and MercadoLibre’s premium valuation could limit near-term upside. MercadoLibre marketplace outlook
• Negative Sentiment: President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s election victory overturned expectations for a more market-friendly Brazilian administration. Investors are reassessing potential government spending, tax and interest-rate policies, weighing on Brazil-focused equities, including MELI. Brazilian stocks tumble after Lula election

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several analysts have issued reports on MELI shares. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,300.00 to $2,200.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 12th. New Street Research initiated coverage on shares of MercadoLibre in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. They set a “buy” rating and a $2,450.00 price target on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded shares of MercadoLibre from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of MercadoLibre from $1,900.00 to $2,150.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Tuesday, August 11th. Finally, Susquehanna upped their price objective on shares of MercadoLibre to $2,400.00 and gave the company a “positive” rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 6th. Thirteen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2,248.75.

About MercadoLibre

MercadoLibre, Inc is a technology company that operates an online commerce and financial services ecosystem across Latin America. Founded in 1999 by Marcos Galperin, the company initially developed an online marketplace and has expanded into a broad platform connecting buyers and sellers with businesses and consumers.

Its commerce operations include the MercadoLibre marketplace, where users can purchase and sell products across numerous categories. The company also offers supporting services such as Mercado Envíos for shipping and logistics, Mercado Ads for digital advertising, and tools for merchants to manage their online businesses.

MercadoLibre’s financial technology business is centered on Mercado Pago, which provides digital payment processing, online checkout, money transfer and account services.