New York, January 6, 2026, 12:20 EST — Regular session
- MercadoLibre shares rose about 3.3% in U.S. trading, extending Monday’s sharp gain.
- Traders pointed to Venezuela-driven “risk-on” buying across Latin American assets.
- Next focal points include Washington’s Venezuela signals and MercadoLibre’s late-February results.
Shares of MercadoLibre (MELI) rose about 3.3% on Tuesday to $2,219.87 in regular trading, extending the prior session’s rally as investors continued to reposition around Venezuela-related headlines.
The move matters now because MercadoLibre is one of the most liquid U.S.-listed ways to express a view on Latin America, and it has become a fast-moving proxy when investors swing into “risk-on” trades — a shift toward higher-risk assets. A Zacks markets note said the stock gained about 8.8% on Monday as “hopeful Venezuelan sentiment” spread. 1
Broader markets turned higher after a U.S. military strike that captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, lifting major stock indexes and oil prices. Oliver Pursche, senior vice president and adviser at Wealthspire Advisors, said it was “reasonable” for markets to “largely ignore the geopolitics” beyond a narrow set of oil-linked names. 2
Traders have framed the latest headlines as a long-dated optionality bet on Venezuela becoming a more investable market for online commerce and digital payments. Seeking Alpha wrote on Monday that investors were circling MercadoLibre as a potential beneficiary of increased U.S. involvement in Venezuela. 3
At around $2,220, MercadoLibre was trading within its $2,138 to $2,240 session range and roughly 16% below its 52-week high of $2,645, according to Investing.com data. Investing.com also put MercadoLibre’s market value at about $112.5 billion. 4
But the stock’s momentum is vulnerable if investors reassess the downside. Zacks Equity Research warned on Monday that MercadoLibre’s rapidly expanding credit book — lending tied to its fintech operations — increases exposure to borrower stress and funding costs, even as consensus estimates point to strong fintech revenue growth. Zacks also flagged competition from Sea and Nu Holdings in parts of the region. 5
Venezuela-linked assets remained volatile on Tuesday, with the country’s defaulted international bonds extending their rally on optimism around political change and a possible restructuring path. Jared Lou, a portfolio manager at William Blair Investment Management, said a “credible and structured political transition” could lead to a sustained rally in Venezuelan bond prices. 6
For MercadoLibre shareholders, the near-term test is whether Washington adds clarity on Venezuela — Trump is set to meet U.S. oil executives this week, Reuters reported — and whether that keeps the “risk-on” bid alive. The company’s investor relations calendar lists its fourth-quarter results for Feb. 24 on a provisional basis. 7
