MercadoLibre (MELI) just closed FY 2025 with fourth quarter revenue of US$8.8b and basic EPS of US$11.03, alongside full year trailing twelve month revenue of US$28.9b and EPS of US$39.39. Over recent periods the company has seen quarterly revenue move from US$6.1b and EPS of US$12.60 in Q4 2024 to US$7.4b and EPS of US$8.30 in Q3 2025, before reaching the latest Q4 2025 levels. This sets up a results season where investors are focused on how margin trends balance against the headline growth story.

See our full analysis for MercadoLibre.

With the key revenue and EPS numbers on the table, the next step is to line these results up against the prevailing bullish and cautious narratives around MercadoLibre to see which stories still hold and which need a rethink.

Margins Under Pressure At 6.9%

• Trailing net profit margin sits at 6.9%, compared with 9.2% a year earlier, while one year earnings growth of 4.5% is well below the 55.2% five year average.
• Bears argue that slowing earnings and softer margins will be hard to offset, yet the business has grown trailing twelve month revenue to US$28.9b and net income to US$2.0b, which partly challenges the idea that higher logistics and fintech costs are completely capping profit potential.
  • The bearish narrative points to rising operating and compliance costs, but the company still produced US$559m of net income in Q4 2025 alone, following US$421m in Q3 and US$523m in Q2.
  • Concerns about long term margin pressure sit alongside analyst forecasts for revenue to grow around 19% a year and earnings about 24.9% a year, so the key issue is whether recent 6.9% margins become the norm or improve from here.

MercadoLibre's recent margin trend is exactly what skeptics focus on, so it is worth seeing how their full bear case lines up with the latest numbers 🐻 MercadoLibre Bear Case.

Premium P/E Versus 47.5x Multiple

• The stock trades on a trailing P/E of 47.5x, compared with a 19.4x average for the Global Multiline Retail industry, while the current share price of US$1,870.01 sits below both the US$2,439.88 analyst target and the US$2,819.52 DCF fair value estimate.
• What stands out for bullish investors is the tension between this premium P/E and the gap to DCF fair value, because forecasts for roughly 24.9% annual earnings growth and 19% annual revenue growth are being used to justify paying more than double the industry multiple.
  • Analysts see upside of around 30% to the US$2,439.88 target from the current US$1,870.01 price, while the DCF fair value of about US$2,819.52 implies an even larger gap to modeled cash flows.
  • Bulls argue that an integrated commerce and fintech ecosystem can support that premium, but critics highlight that a 47.5x P/E leaves little room for further slowdown in earnings growth like the most recent 4.5% trailing increase.

If you want to see how optimistic investors connect these growth forecasts and valuation gaps into a full story, the bullish narrative breaks it down in detail 🐂 MercadoLibre Bull Case.

Quarterly Profit Volatility Versus Growth Story

• Across FY 2025, quarterly net income moved from US$494m in Q1 to US$523m in Q2, US$421m in Q3 and US$559m in Q4, while quarterly revenue grew from US$5.9b to US$8.8b over the same period.
• Consensus narrative supporters point out that this pattern of rising revenue with uneven quarterly profit lines up with the idea of heavy spending on logistics, shipping incentives and marketing today, with the aim of supporting higher engagement and operating leverage over time.
  • Investments such as lower free shipping thresholds and reduced seller fees are cited as reasons for stronger user growth, which is consistent with revenue moving from US$6.1b in Q4 2024 to US$8.8b in Q4 2025.
  • At the same time, the drop in trailing margin from 9.2% to 6.9% shows that these growth efforts have a clear cost, so investors need to decide whether forecast margin improvement to 8.3% in three years feels realistic.

Next Steps

To see how these results tie into long-term growth, risks, and valuation, check out the full range of community narratives for MercadoLibre on Simply Wall St. Add the company to your watchlist or portfolio so you'll be alerted when the story evolves.

Balanced or conflicted by these mixed signals? Use the data to test your own thesis and see both sides by checking 4 key rewards and 1 important warning sign

See What Else Is Out There

MercadoLibre is carrying a premium 47.5x P/E at the same time as margins sit at 6.9% and recent earnings growth trails its longer term pace.

If that mix of rich valuation and softer profitability makes you cautious, you may wish to widen your search to companies with more modest pricing by checking 51 high quality undervalued stocks.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.