MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) Receives Average Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages

Key Points

• MercadoLibre currently has a consensus analyst rating of “Moderate Buy” from 18 brokerages, with 11 buy ratings, 1 strong buy, and 6 hold ratings. The average 12-month price target is about $2,258.67.
• Recent analyst moves were mixed: Daiwa Securities downgraded the stock to hold, while Jefferies upgraded it to buy but lowered its price target. Other firms, including Cantor Fitzgerald and Goldman Sachs, also adjusted their targets in recent reports.
• The company’s latest quarter showed revenue growth of 49% year over year to $8.85 billion, but EPS of $8.23 missed estimates. Insider activity included a director buying 600 shares, while institutional ownership remains high at 87.62%.

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI - Get Free Report) has been given an average rating of "Moderate Buy" by the eighteen brokerages that are presently covering the company, Marketbeat Ratings reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eleven have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $2,258.6667.

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Daiwa Securities Group cut MercadoLibre from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $1,800.00 price target for the company. in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Jefferies Financial Group upgraded shares of MercadoLibre from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and cut their price objective for the company from $2,800.00 to $2,600.00 in a research note on Tuesday, April 7th. Zacks Research raised shares of MercadoLibre from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Monday. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,400.00 to $2,350.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, April 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $2,100.00 target price on shares of MercadoLibre in a research note on Wednesday, May 13th.

Insider Buying and Selling at MercadoLibre

In related news, Director Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin acquired 600 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1,655.93 per share, for a total transaction of $993,558.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 5,355 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $8,867,505.15. The trade was a 12.62% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On MercadoLibre

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in MELI. Bison Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre in the 4th quarter worth $206,000. Empowered Funds LLC boosted 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 buying an additional 49 shares in the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in MercadoLibre by 42.0% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 602 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,176,000 after buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in MercadoLibre during the second quarter worth about $261,000. Finally, Gamco Investors INC. ET AL grew its holdings in MercadoLibre by 21.4% during the second 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. Institutional investors own 87.62% of the company's stock.

MercadoLibre Stock Performance

MELI opened at $1,857.42 on Friday. The company has a current ratio of 1.16, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63. The business's 50 day moving average is $1,678.27 and its 200-day moving average is $1,822.75. The stock has a market cap of $94.17 billion, a PE ratio of 49.02, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.13 and a beta of 1.35. MercadoLibre has a twelve month low of $1,495.00 and a twelve month high of $2,548.50.

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