5,450 Shares in MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI Bought by Markel Group Inc.

Key Points

• Markel Group Inc. opened a new position in MercadoLibre during the first quarter, buying 5,450 shares worth about $9.42 million.
• MercadoLibre’s latest quarterly results showed revenue growth of 49% year over year to $8.85 billion, but EPS of $8.23 came in below analyst expectations.
• Wall Street remains generally positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of about $2,255.33, even as several firms trimmed their targets and one downgraded the stock to neutral.

Markel Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report) in the first quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 5,450 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,423,000.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in MercadoLibre in the 4th quarter valued at about $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new position in shares of MercadoLibre during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 87.62% of the company's stock.

MercadoLibre Price Performance

Shares of MercadoLibre stock traded up $44.39 on Friday, hitting $1,852.22. 406,269 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 405,449. The stock has a market capitalization of $93.91 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 48.88, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.14 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $1,675.89 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,827.82. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,495.00 and a 1-year high of $2,548.50. The company has a quick ratio of 1.14, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $8.23 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.75 by ($0.52). MercadoLibre had a net margin of 6.04% and a return on equity of 29.58%. The company had revenue of $8.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $8.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $9.74 EPS. MercadoLibre's revenue for the quarter was up 49.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 40.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,400.00 to $2,350.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $2,100.00 price objective on MercadoLibre in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Barclays decreased their price objective on MercadoLibre from $2,500.00 to $2,300.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Monday, May 11th. UBS Group lowered their target price on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,050.00 to $1,750.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, Citigroup cut shares of MercadoLibre from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating and lowered their target price for the stock from $2,200.00 to $1,950.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, MercadoLibre presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $2,255.33.

Insider Transactions at MercadoLibre

In related news, Director Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin bought 600 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was bought at an average cost of $1,655.93 per share, for a total transaction of $993,558.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,355 shares in the company, valued at $8,867,505.15. This represents a 12.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 0.26% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

About MercadoLibre

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.

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