BTIG Cuts MercadoLibre Price Target to $2,150 Amid Profit Decline
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 2 days ago
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Should l Buy MELI?
Source: stocktwits
- Price Target Adjustment: BTIG has lowered its price target for MercadoLibre from $2,400 to $2,150 while maintaining a 'Buy' rating, indicating market concerns regarding the company's profitability following a significant decline in operating margins.
- Revenue Growth vs. Profit Decline: MercadoLibre reported a 49% year-on-year increase in Q1 revenue to $8.85 billion, surpassing expectations, yet its earnings per share of $8.23 fell short of the $8.47 forecast, highlighting challenges in maintaining profitability amid rising expenditures.
- Future Outlook: Raymond James has reduced its target price for MercadoLibre to $2,000, projecting higher sales but lower profits in the coming years, suggesting that the company's investments in growth and expansion will impact short-term earnings.
- Investor Confidence: Notable investor Michael Burry disclosed a new full position in MercadoLibre after the stock's decline, anticipating a 30% year-on-year revenue increase by 2026, reflecting confidence in the company's long-term growth potential.
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Analyst Views on MELI
Wall Street analysts forecast MELI stock price to rise
11 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 1578.780
Low
2500
Averages
2783
High
2950
Current: 1578.780
Low
2500
Averages
2783
High
2950
About MELI
MercadoLibre Inc is a Uruguay-based e-commerce business facilitator of Argentinian origins. The e-commerce products enable retail and wholesale via Internet platforms designed to provide users with a portfolio of services to facilitate commercial transactions. The Company's geographic coverage includes 18 countries of Latin America. The primary offer is an ecosystem of six integrated e-commerce services: the Mercado Libre Marketplace, the Mercado Libre Classifieds service, the Mercado Pago payments solution, the Mercado Credito financial solutions, the Mercado Envios logistic solutions including shipping, the Mercado Ads advertising platform and the Mercado Shops digital storefront solution.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- Significant Revenue Growth: MercadoLibre's Q1 revenue surged 49% year-over-year to $8.85 billion, exceeding the market expectation of $8.32 billion, indicating strong performance in the Latin American e-commerce market despite stock price declines due to its investment strategy.
- Margin Compression: While revenue soared, the company's operating margin shrank to 6.9%, with management committed to investing in growth opportunities rather than prioritizing short-term profits, aiming to capitalize on transformative opportunities in the Latin American market.
- Market Share Expansion: The company's gross merchandise volume (GMV) in Brazil increased by 38%, while Mexico, Argentina, and Chile saw GMV growth of 28%, 41%, and 40% respectively, showcasing its robust growth potential in the Latin American market.
- Thriving Fintech Business: MercadoLibre's fintech monthly active users rose by 29%, and its credit card portfolio nearly doubled year-over-year to $14.6 billion, indicating successful expansion in financial services and a strong customer base.
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- E-commerce Market Growth: MercadoLibre dominates the Latin American e-commerce market, with a 49% year-over-year revenue increase in Q1, marking the fastest growth in four years, indicating strong performance in an underpenetrated market and potential for further market share expansion.
- Fintech Business Expansion: The company's fintech segment saw a 50% year-over-year increase in total payment volume and a 29% rise in monthly active users in Q1, highlighting its transformation from an ancillary service to a major revenue driver, expected to boost overall business growth.
- Rapid Credit Card Growth: MercadoLibre's credit card portfolio surged 107% year-over-year in Q1, adding 2.7 million cards, with the total credit portfolio increasing by 87%, directly enhancing marketplace growth and creating a strong flywheel effect.
- Attractive Stock Valuation: Despite strong results, the stock has fallen 19% year-to-date, now trading at a three-year low of 24x forward earnings, presenting an excellent entry point for new investors or for adding to existing positions, with patience likely to yield returns.
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- Technical Breakdown: MercadoLibre (MELI) shares closed at $1,557.30 on Monday, falling below the 50% Fibonacci retracement level associated with its multi-year rally, indicating a significant technical breakdown that could undermine long-term investor confidence.
- Continued Selloff: This latest decline extends a broader selloff from 2025 highs above $2,500, placing the stock firmly in the lower half of its post-2022 trading range, reflecting increasing market pessimism towards the stock.
- High-Profile Buyer: Despite the stock's downturn, investor Michael Burry confirmed on his Substack that he purchased a new position in MercadoLibre in the “$1600s” range after the company's post-earnings decline, indicating confidence in the company's future prospects.
- Technical Outlook: The next major support level for technical traders is near the 61.8% retracement in the mid-$1,300 range; holding above this zone could preserve the broader uptrend, while a decisive break below it may signal the unraveling of the stock's multi-year bull run.
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- Significant Revenue Growth: MercadoLibre's Q1 revenue surged 46% year-over-year to $8.85 billion, exceeding the $8.3 billion estimate, highlighting its robust growth potential in the Latin American e-commerce market despite competitive pressures.
- Declining Profit Margins: Operating margin fell by six percentage points to 6.9%, primarily due to increased provisions for doubtful accounts, reflecting the company's choice to prioritize long-term investments in infrastructure and credit business, which may impact short-term profitability.
- Intensifying Market Competition: In response to competition from Amazon and Shopee, MercadoLibre has lowered take rates in certain categories to retain merchants, and despite heightened competition in Brazil, the company continues to expand its market share, demonstrating its resilience.
- Optimistic Future Outlook: Although management did not provide specific guidance for the year, they noted that lower take rates would impact Q2 profits; however, confidence in the company's long-term growth potential remains strong, with the current stock price still attractive relative to its revenue growth.
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- Trade Desk Earnings Miss: The Trade Desk Inc. (TTD) reported adjusted earnings of $0.28 per share for Q1 2026, matching the Zacks Consensus Estimate but leading to a 1.8% drop in shares, indicating market concerns over its profitability.
- Dropbox Stock Surge: Dropbox Inc. (DBX) posted adjusted earnings of $0.76 per share in Q1 2026, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.71 per share, resulting in a 15% increase in shares, showcasing its strong growth potential in a competitive landscape.
- Akamai Revenue Beat: Akamai Technologies Inc. (AKAM) reported Q1 2026 revenues of $1.07361 billion, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.07314 billion, with shares soaring 26.6%, reflecting its robust performance in the cloud services sector.
- MercadoLibre Earnings Decline: MercadoLibre Inc. (MELI) reported adjusted earnings of $8.23 per share for Q1 2026, falling short of the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $8.78 per share, leading to a 12.7% drop in shares, highlighting the market challenges and profitability pressures it faces.
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- Price Target Adjustment: BTIG has lowered its price target for MercadoLibre from $2,400 to $2,150 while maintaining a 'Buy' rating, indicating market concerns regarding the company's profitability following a significant decline in operating margins.
- Revenue Growth vs. Profit Decline: MercadoLibre reported a 49% year-on-year increase in Q1 revenue to $8.85 billion, surpassing expectations, yet its earnings per share of $8.23 fell short of the $8.47 forecast, highlighting challenges in maintaining profitability amid rising expenditures.
- Future Outlook: Raymond James has reduced its target price for MercadoLibre to $2,000, projecting higher sales but lower profits in the coming years, suggesting that the company's investments in growth and expansion will impact short-term earnings.
- Investor Confidence: Notable investor Michael Burry disclosed a new full position in MercadoLibre after the stock's decline, anticipating a 30% year-on-year revenue increase by 2026, reflecting confidence in the company's long-term growth potential.
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