SQUADRA Loads Up MercadoLibre With 89,000 Shares in New Position
Key Points
Acquired 89,656 shares; estimated trade value $180.59 million (based on quarterly average pricing).
Quarter-end position value increased by $180.59 million, reflecting both share purchase and price movement.
MELI represented 33.8% of reportable 13F assets under management at quarter-end.
Fund now holds 89,656 shares valued at $180.59 million.
MercadoLibre is now among the fund’s largest reported U.S. equity positions, with the fund holding six reportable securities as of quarter-end.
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SQUADRA Investments - Gestao de Recursos Ltda. initiated a new position in MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI), according to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing.
What happened
According to a February 17, 2026, SEC filing, SQUADRA Investments - Gestao de Recursos Ltda. established a new stake in MercadoLibre, acquiring 89,656 shares. The estimated transaction value was $180.59 million, calculated using the average share price for the quarter. The fund’s quarter-end position in MercadoLibre was valued at $180.59 million, representing a net position change of the same amount.
What else to know
- This was a new position, accounting for 33.8% of the fund’s reportable 13F assets under management as of December 31, 2025.
- Top holdings after the filing:
- NASDAQ: MELI: $180.59 million (33.8% of AUM)
- NYSE: NU: $153.08 million (29% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: XP: $78.47 million (15% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: INTR: $53.03 million (9.9% of AUM)
- NASDAQ: STNE: $18.40 million (3.4% of AUM)
- As of February 17, 2026, shares were priced at $1,975.51, down 5.9% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 18.29 percentage points
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Price (as of market close 2026-02-17) | $1,975.51 |
| Market Capitalization | $100.15 billion |
| Revenue (TTM) | $28.89 billion |
| Net Income (TTM) | $2.00 billion |
Company Snapshot
- Offers an integrated suite of e-commerce, digital payments, fintech, logistics, and advertising services across Latin America, including the Mercado Libre Marketplace, Mercado Pago, Mercado Credito, Mercado Envios, Mercado Fondo, and Mercado Libre Ads.
- Generates revenue primarily through transaction fees on its marketplace, payment processing, credit solutions, advertising, and value-added logistics and fulfillment services.
- Serves individual consumers, small and medium-sized businesses, and large enterprises operating in Latin American markets.
MercadoLibre, Inc. is a leading Latin American e-commerce and fintech platform, leveraging a broad ecosystem to drive digital commerce and financial inclusion in the region. The company combines marketplace, payments, and logistics infrastructure, enabling seamless transactions for millions of users. MercadoLibre's scale, technology-driven approach, and diversified service offerings position it as a key player in the rapidly growing digital economy of Latin America.
What this transaction means for investors
Squadra’s purchase of MercadoLibre is notable, particularly for its size and influence over the fund.
The Brazil-based fund is made up of only five companies, all of which have ties to the Brazilian fintech industry. Of those stocks, it reduced its holdings in three of them with only a modest increase in its position in Inter & Co. Thus, its purchase of MercadoLibre was the fund’s largest bull move.
Additionally, Squadra made this purchase at a time when MercadoLibre’s stock had struggled with increased competition on the e-commerce side of the business. Also, it has had to significantly increase its allowance for doubtful accounts amid rising bad loans.
Fortunately, the company is addressing the bad loans by using AI to attempt to predict borrower behavior. On the e-commerce side, it may get a break amid economic improvements in Argentina and Venezuela.
Hence, even though the stock sold off following its Q4 earnings, the move into this retail stock could prove profitable in the long run.
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Will Healy has positions in MercadoLibre and Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends MercadoLibre and StoneCo. The Motley Fool recommends Nu Holdings. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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