Liontrust Investment Partners LLP Acquires 2,862 Shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI

Key Points

• Liontrust Investment Partners increased its MercadoLibre stake by 26.1% in the first quarter, acquiring 2,862 shares for a total of 13,836 shares valued at approximately $23.9 million. Institutional investors collectively own 87.62% of the company.
• Analyst sentiment remains positive, with MercadoLibre carrying a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating and an average price target of $2,258.67. Jefferies upgraded the stock to “buy,” while several firms adjusted their price targets.
• MercadoLibre’s latest revenue rose 49% year over year to $8.85 billion, exceeding estimates, but quarterly EPS of $8.23 missed consensus by $0.52. The stock opened at $1,885.73, with a market capitalization of approximately $95.6 billion.

Liontrust Investment Partners LLP lifted its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report) by 26.1% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 13,836 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 2,862 shares during the quarter. Liontrust Investment Partners LLP's holdings in MercadoLibre were worth $23,923,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the stock. Darwin Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter worth $29,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC bought a new position in MercadoLibre in the fourth quarter valued at $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the fourth quarter valued at about $26,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre during the fourth quarter valued at about $28,000. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC bought a new stake in MercadoLibre during the fourth quarter worth about $30,000. 87.62% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at MercadoLibre

In related news, Director Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin purchased 600 shares of MercadoLibre stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $1,655.93 per share, for a total transaction of $993,558.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 5,355 shares of the company's stock, valued at $8,867,505.15. This represents a 12.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on MELI shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $2,100.00 target price on MercadoLibre in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. BTIG Research reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $2,150.00 target price on shares of MercadoLibre in a research report on Tuesday, June 2nd. Zacks Research raised MercadoLibre from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group raised MercadoLibre from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and lowered their target price for the company from $2,800.00 to $2,600.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Finally, Barclays decreased their price target on MercadoLibre from $2,500.00 to $2,300.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $2,258.67.

MercadoLibre Trading Up 1.2%

NASDAQ MELI opened at $1,885.73 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $95.61 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.77, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 1.35. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,495.00 and a fifty-two week high of $2,548.50. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $1,724.37 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $1,804.48. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.16.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $8.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $8.75 by ($0.52). The business had revenue of $8.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.29 billion. MercadoLibre had a net margin of 6.04% and a return on equity of 29.58%. MercadoLibre's revenue was up 49.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $9.74 EPS. On average, analysts forecast that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 41 earnings per share for the current year.

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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