New York, January 14, 2026, 21:35 ET — The market has closed.
Shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. climbed 1.4% on Wednesday, closing at $2,101.95. During the session, the stock fluctuated between $2,041.59 and $2,107.11, with roughly 500,000 shares changing hands.
With U.S. markets closed today, all eyes turn to the company’s next move — can it sustain growth while safeguarding margins in its key drivers: online retail and payments?
Leadership also makes the watch list. Back in a letter shared last year, founder Marcos Galperin announced he’d “transition to a new role as Executive Chairman” beginning January 1, 2026, with Ariel Szarfsztejn stepping in as CEO. (Mercado Libre | Investor Relations)
The most recent numbers still set the tone. In its third-quarter shareholder letter, MercadoLibre reported net revenues and financial income of $7.409 billion, marking a 39% increase year-on-year. Operating income hit $724 million, with net income at $421 million. The company also disclosed a total payment volume of $71.2 billion and a gross merchandise volume (GMV) of $16.5 billion — GMV reflects the value of goods sold on its marketplace. Its credit portfolio surged 83% to $11.0 billion, while 15–90 day non-performing loans, or late loans, stood at 6.8%. (Mercado Libre | Investor Relations)
Sentiment around that lending book can shift quickly. While faster growth boosts fees and keeps users engaged, it also ramps up risk if funding costs rise or consumer demand weakens in crucial markets such as Brazil and Mexico.
Competition remains largely behind the scenes. Amazon and Sea’s Shopee aggressively target certain Latin American markets, while low-cost cross-border sellers continue driving platforms to ramp up spending on shipping and marketing to defend their market share.
The downside looks clear-cut: rising delinquencies in the credit portfolio, tougher shipping economics, or bigger currency swings could drag down earnings quality and toughen the market’s stance on valuation.
Investors are eyeing two key dates: a Jan. 27 fireside chat with Fernando Yunes at the UBS LatAm Conference in São Paulo, followed by the company’s tentative Q4’25 earnings release on Feb. 24. (Mercado Libre | Investor Relations)
