MercadoLibre Poised For 30% Upside As Gross Merchandise Value And Payment Volume Surge, Says Goldman Sachs

Core Viewpoint - MercadoLibre Inc (MELI) is expected to report strong third-quarter results for 2024, driven by significant growth in gross merchandise value (GMV) and total payment volume (TPV) [1][2] Group 1: Financial Performance Expectations - Analysts estimate adjusted EPS of $10.55 and revenues of $5.25 billion for the third quarter of 2024 [1] - Goldman Sachs anticipates local currency GMV growth exceeding 30% year-over-year in Brazil and Mexico, with notable acceleration in Argentina [1] - The analyst projects EBIT of $749 million, slightly above the consensus of $740 million, despite expected lower margins of 13.9% compared to the consensus of 14.4% [2] Group 2: Loan Portfolio and Credit Operations - MercadoLibre's total gross loan portfolio is projected to reach $7.6 billion by year-end 2025 and $9.4 billion by year-end 2026, up from $4.9 billion as of Q2 2024 [2] - Credit cards are expected to constitute 46% and 51% of the average annual loan book in 2025 and 2026, respectively [2] - The company has been issuing approximately 1.6 million new credit cards per quarter in Brazil, adding around $325 million to its consolidated credit card book [2][3] Group 3: Management and Market Position - Management is comfortable with the current pace of credit origination, emphasizing a balanced approach to profitability and risk management [3] - The stock price of MELI is currently down 0.51% at $2,037.47 [3]