Sapient Capital LLC Has $15.97 Million Stock Position in MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI

Key Points

• Sapient Capital reduced its MercadoLibre stake by 53.9% in the first quarter, selling 10,792 shares and retaining 9,240 shares valued at approximately $15.97 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 87.62% of MELI.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $2,258.67, although UBS and Morgan Stanley recently lowered their targets.
• MercadoLibre reported quarterly revenue of $8.85 billion, up 49% year over year and above estimates, but earnings per share of $8.23 missed consensus expectations of $8.75. A company director separately purchased 600 shares worth nearly $994,000.

Sapient Capital LLC lowered its stake in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Free Report) by 53.9% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 9,240 shares of the company's stock after selling 10,792 shares during the quarter. Sapient Capital LLC's holdings in MercadoLibre were worth $15,971,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of MELI. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre in the fourth quarter valued at about $206,000. Empowered Funds LLC increased its stake in MercadoLibre by 6.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 760 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,483,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Focus Partners Wealth raised its holdings in MercadoLibre by 42.0% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 602 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,176,000 after acquiring an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $261,000. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL lifted its position in shares of MercadoLibre by 21.4% in the 2nd quarter. Gamco Investors INC. ET AL now owns 170 shares of the company's stock worth $444,000 after acquiring an additional 30 shares during the period. 87.62% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on MELI. Raymond James Financial set a $2,000.00 price objective on MercadoLibre in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,600.00 to $2,450.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, May 11th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating and issued a $2,150.00 price objective on shares of MercadoLibre in a research note on Tuesday, June 2nd. Weiss Ratings reiterated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of MercadoLibre in a research report on Thursday, July 2nd. Finally, UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,050.00 to $1,750.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 13th. One equities 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, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $2,258.67.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin bought 600 shares of MercadoLibre stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1,655.93 per share, with a total value of $993,558.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 5,355 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,867,505.15. This trade represents a 12.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

MercadoLibre Price Performance

Shares of MELI opened at $1,877.95 on Monday. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a one year low of $1,495.00 and a one year high of $2,548.50. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $1,728.64 and its 200-day simple moving average is $1,802.56. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a current ratio of 1.16 and a quick ratio of 1.14. The company has a market capitalization of $95.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 49.56, a PEG ratio of 1.16 and a beta of 1.34.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $8.23 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $8.75 by ($0.52). MercadoLibre had a return on equity of 29.58% and a net margin of 6.04%.The firm had revenue of $8.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $9.74 earnings per share. The business'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 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

MercadoLibre 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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