Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd Boosts Stake in MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI

Key Points

• Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd increased its MercadoLibre stake by 169.3% in the fourth quarter, ending with 5,036 shares worth about $10.2 million. MercadoLibre is now its fifth-largest holding and makes up roughly 3.9% of the portfolio.
• Wall Street sentiment has turned somewhat more cautious: several analysts cut price targets, and JPMorgan downgraded the stock from overweight to neutral. Even so, the consensus rating remains Moderate Buy with an average target price of $2,442.
• MercadoLibre reported 49% year-over-year revenue growth in its latest quarter, but earnings per share came in below expectations at $8.23 versus the $8.75 estimate. The stock was trading down about 4.6%, near its 12-month low, as investors weighed growth against margin pressure and softer earnings.

Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd raised its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report) by 169.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 5,036 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 3,166 shares during the quarter. MercadoLibre makes up about 3.9% of Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd's investment portfolio, making the stock its 5th biggest position. Ashoka WhiteOak Capital Pte Ltd's holdings in MercadoLibre were worth $10,177,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Weitz Investment Management Inc. bought a new stake in MercadoLibre during the third quarter valued at about $8,647,000. Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 126.7% in the third quarter. Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. now owns 11,505 shares of the company's stock worth $26,886,000 after purchasing an additional 6,429 shares during the last quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 14.3% in the third quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 86,699 shares of the company's stock worth $202,610,000 after purchasing an additional 10,849 shares during the last quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 18.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 48,103 shares of the company's stock worth $112,414,000 after purchasing an additional 7,570 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund increased its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 5.5% in the third quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 11,560 shares of the company's stock worth $27,015,000 after purchasing an additional 600 shares during the last quarter. 87.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on MELI shares. Wedbush reduced their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,600.00 to $2,400.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut MercadoLibre from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and reduced their target price for the stock from $2,650.00 to $2,100.00 in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Benchmark reduced their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,780.00 to $2,380.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. UBS Group reduced their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,900.00 to $2,700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday, February 27th. Finally, BTIG Research reduced their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,400.00 to $2,150.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Friday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $2,442.00.

MercadoLibre Trading Down 4.6%

MELI opened at $1,557.30 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $78.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 41.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.83 and a beta of 1.41. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a 12 month low of $1,536.71 and a 12 month high of $2,645.22. The company has a current ratio of 1.17, a quick ratio of 1.15 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.68. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $1,749.43 and a 200 day moving average of $1,959.91.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) last released 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). The company had revenue of $8.85 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $8.29 billion. MercadoLibre had a return on equity of 30.84% and a net margin of 6.04%.The company's revenue was up 49.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $9.74 EPS. As a group, research analysts forecast that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 47.84 EPS for the current year.

More MercadoLibre News

Here are the key news stories impacting MercadoLibre this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Michael Burry reportedly bought MercadoLibre after the post-earnings weakness, which may signal that some investors see the pullback as a buying opportunity. MELI stock rises overnight after post-earnings tumble: Michael Burry buys the dip even as analysts flag caution
• Positive Sentiment: Several articles highlighted MercadoLibre’s long-term growth story in ecommerce, digital payments, and logistics across Latin America, reinforcing the bull case for the stock. MercadoLibre (MELI) Believed To Be Powering Commerce Across An Entire Continent
• Positive Sentiment: Coverage suggesting the stock may still be attractive after a steep share-price decline could encourage value-oriented buyers to step in. Is MercadoLibre (MELI) Still Attractive After A 35% Share Price Slide?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused articles noted generally optimistic Wall Street ratings, but these reports were more commentary on consensus than fresh fundamental news. Is MercadoLibre (MELI) a Buy as Wall Street Analysts Look Optimistic?
• Neutral Sentiment: MarketBeat’s note on short interest showed no meaningful short position data change, so it does not appear to be a major price driver. Short interest update
• Negative Sentiment: BTIG reportedly cut its price target on MercadoLibre, and other broker commentary turned more cautious, which can weigh on sentiment. BTIG Research Cuts MercadoLibre NASDAQ: MELI Price Target to $2,150.00
• Negative Sentiment: Additional research notes described the stock as trading down because margin pressure from heavy growth investment is still a concern for investors. MELI Q1 Deep Dive: Strategic Investment Drives Revenue Growth but Compresses Margins

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.

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