MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) Sees Significant Drop in Short Interest

MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) was the recipient of a significant drop in short interest in the month of January. As of January 30th, there was short interest totaling 754,910 shares, a drop of 24.9% from the January 15th total of 1,005,144 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 582,364 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.3 days. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Approximately 1.5% of the shares of the company are short sold. Based on an average trading volume of 582,364 shares, the short-interest ratio is currently 1.3 days.

Insider Activity

In other MercadoLibre news, Director Stelleo Tolda sold 246 shares of MercadoLibre stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, December 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,047.88, for a total transaction of $503,778.48. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Henrique Vasoncelos Dubugras sold 845 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, December 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,028.14, for a total value of $1,713,778.30. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 1,136 shares of company stock worth $2,308,788. 0.25% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On MercadoLibre

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Bison Wealth LLC purchased a new stake in MercadoLibre in the fourth quarter worth approximately $206,000. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 6.9% in the 1st quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 760 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,483,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Focus Partners Wealth boosted its stake in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter valued at $261,000. Finally, CWM LLC grew its holdings in shares of MercadoLibre by 13.9% during the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,040 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,718,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares during the last quarter. 87.62% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More MercadoLibre News

Here are the key news stories impacting MercadoLibre this week:

• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan upgraded MELI to overweight and raised its price target to $2,800, citing easing competition and a steadier outlook — a clear analyst catalyst that can support upside. JPMorgan Upgrade
• Positive Sentiment: Partnership with Brazilian food retailer Assaí to sell and store products on MercadoLibre’s platform strengthens marketplace assortment and logistics monetization in Brazil — supportive for revenue and fulfillment scale. Assaí Partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Buy-side conviction: Loomis Sayles highlighted MELI as trading at a discount in its Q4 letter, signaling institutional interest that can underpin longer-term demand. Loomis Sayles Letter
• Neutral Sentiment: MercadoLibre set Q4 2025 earnings release and webcast for Feb 24 — this is the immediate catalyst that could drive volatility depending on results and guidance. Earnings Release Notice
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst commentary and valuation pieces (Zacks, Yahoo, The Globe & Mail) debate whether MELI’s multiple (P/E and PEG) fairly prices fintech and logistics growth versus near-term credit headwinds — keeps investor views split. Valuation Discussion
• Negative Sentiment: Reports of insider selling and heavy investment spending are weighing on market confidence; investors worry about return on capital and near-term dilution of margins. Insider Selling Report
• Negative Sentiment: Credit trends: coverage notes rising bad-loan expenses in Mercado Crédito and slower fintech growth as one reason for recent share underperformance, a direct risk to profitability and investor sentiment. Credit/Fintech Concerns

Analyst Ratings Changes

MELI has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings cut shares of MercadoLibre from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,850.00 to $2,950.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Benchmark decreased their price target on shares of MercadoLibre from $2,875.00 to $2,780.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, October 30th. Zacks Research upgraded MercadoLibre from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Finally, BTIG Research restated a “buy” rating and set a $2,750.00 target price on shares of MercadoLibre in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2,886.25.

MercadoLibre Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ MELI traded down $18.74 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $1,988.26. 425,431 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 557,765. MercadoLibre has a 52 week low of $1,723.90 and a 52 week high of $2,645.22. The company has a quick ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 1.17 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The stock has a market capitalization of $100.80 billion, a PE ratio of 48.52, a PEG ratio of 0.99 and a beta of 1.44. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $2,066.21 and its 200 day moving average price is $2,192.82.

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.