Aureus Asset Management LLC Purchases 774 Shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. $MELI

Aureus Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of MercadoLibre, Inc. (NASDAQ:MELI) by 411.7% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 962 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 774 shares during the period. Aureus Asset Management LLC’s holdings in MercadoLibre were worth $1,663,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of MercadoLibre in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $29,000. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of MercadoLibre during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC bought a new position in MercadoLibre in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Purpose Unlimited Inc. bought a new position in MercadoLibre in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Curio Wealth LLC acquired a new position in MercadoLibre during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $30,000. 87.62% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

MercadoLibre Stock Performance

NASDAQ MELI opened at $1,799.21 on Thursday. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $1,697.03 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $1,817.14. The stock has a market cap of $91.22 billion, a PE ratio of 47.49, a PEG ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.63, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.16. MercadoLibre, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $1,495.00 and a fifty-two week high of $2,548.50.

MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $8.23 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $8.75 by ($0.52). MercadoLibre had a net margin of 6.04% and a return on equity of 29.58%. The firm had revenue of $8.85 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $8.29 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $9.74 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 49.0% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that MercadoLibre, Inc. will post 41 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Alejandro Nicolas Aguzin bought 600 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1,655.93 per share, for a total transaction of $993,558.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 5,355 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,867,505.15. This trade represents a 12.62% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Corporate insiders own 0.26% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the company. Citigroup upped their target price on MercadoLibre from $1,950.00 to $2,000.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 15th. Zacks Research raised MercadoLibre from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on MercadoLibre from $2,100.00 to $1,900.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Daiwa Securities Group downgraded MercadoLibre from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $1,800.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their price objective on MercadoLibre from $3,500.00 to $2,800.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eleven have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2,258.67.

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.