Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC Acquires New Holdings in MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI

Key Points

• Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC bought 973 shares of MercadoLibre worth about $2.23 million in Q3, representing roughly 1.3% of the fund’s portfolio and its 26th largest holding.
• Several other institutions (including Weitz, Barlow, MFS and Principal) also added to positions, leaving 87.62% of MELI owned by institutional investors, signaling heavy institutional interest.
• MercadoLibre posted an EPS miss ($11.03 vs. $11.66) despite 44.6% revenue growth, and has seen analyst price‑target cuts and a JPMorgan downgrade amid margin concerns and a ~$3.4B Argentina expansion that has pressured the stock and contributed to recent selling.

Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 973 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,229,000. MercadoLibre makes up about 1.3% of Benchmark Investment Advisors LLC's portfolio, making the stock its 26th biggest holding.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Highview Capital Management LLC DE acquired a new position in MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter valued at $559,000. Weitz Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre during the 3rd quarter worth $8,647,000. Barlow Wealth Partners Inc. increased its position 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 period. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA increased its position 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 period. Finally, Principal Financial Group Inc. raised its stake in MercadoLibre by 18.7% in the third quarter. Principal Financial Group Inc. now owns 48,103 shares of the company's stock valued at $112,414,000 after purchasing an additional 7,570 shares in the last quarter. 87.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about MercadoLibre

Here are the key news stories impacting MercadoLibre this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and commentators still point to MELI’s long track record of “monster” growth and say the stock looks cheaper on valuation metrics versus its historical multiple, which supports a longer‑term recovery thesis. The Latin American Stock Delivering Monster Growth at a Record-Low Valuation
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst positioning remains skewed positive (many buy/strong‑buy ratings and a substantially higher consensus price target), creating a potential catalyst for a rebound if sentiment stabilizes — but that gap also highlights downside risk while catalysts play out. MercadoLibre’s $2,100 Price Target: Can MELI Recover From Its 17% Monthly Slide?
• Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan downgraded MELI from Overweight to Neutral and cut its price target (from $2,650 to $2,100), explicitly flagging margin pressures and reducing its bullish stance — a primary driver of the recent selloff. MercadoLibre (MELI) Stock Plummets 7% as JPMorgan Abandons Bullish Stance
• Negative Sentiment: MercadoLibre’s plan to invest ~$3.4B in Argentina (expanding logistics, fintech and hiring) is growth‑oriented but raises near‑term margin and cash‑flow concerns; investors are weighing capex upside vs immediate profit pressure. MercadoLibre’s Argentina Bet Expands Logistics And Fintech But Tests Margins
• Negative Sentiment: Macro/geopolitical risk (intensifying U.S.‑Israeli conflict with Iran) has hit growth names and specifically pressured MELI shares in recent sessions as investors move to de‑risk. Why MercadoLibre (MELI) Shares Are Sliding Today
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term sentiment also reflects recent earnings dynamics (an EPS miss vs. estimates despite strong revenue growth) and analysts’ margin concerns, magnifying downside after the downgrade and headlines. Here's Why MercadoLibre (MELI) Fell More Than Broader Market

MercadoLibre Stock Performance

Shares of MercadoLibre stock opened at $1,670.00 on Friday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $1,996.22 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $2,119.50. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a 1-year low of $1,631.18 and a 1-year 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 company has a market cap of $84.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 42.39, a PEG ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.48.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data 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). MercadoLibre had a return on equity of 33.73% and a net margin of 6.91%.The company had revenue of $8.76 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.45 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $12.61 EPS. MercadoLibre's revenue for the quarter was up 44.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 43.96 EPS for the current year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Barclays decreased their price objective on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,900.00 to $2,600.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Cantor Fitzgerald cut their target price on MercadoLibre from $2,750.00 to $2,400.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. UBS Group decreased their price target on MercadoLibre from $2,900.00 to $2,700.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, February 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on MercadoLibre from $2,800.00 to $2,600.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded MercadoLibre from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have given a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, MercadoLibre presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $2,725.33.

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.

Want to see what other hedge funds are holding MELI? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report).

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.