ZACKS·2025-11-19 14:21Core Insights - MercadoLibre (MELI) and Amazon (AMZN) represent two distinct strategies in capturing e-commerce growth across the Americas, with Amazon being a vertically integrated marketplace and MercadoLibre focusing on Latin American e-commerce through an integrated ecosystem [1][2] Group 1: Company Performance - Amazon's third-quarter revenues grew 13% year over year to $180.1 billion, benefiting from retail, cloud, and advertising demand [8] - MercadoLibre's revenue grew 39% year over year, but earnings fell short of estimates due to margin compression and macroeconomic challenges in Latin America [4][7] - Amazon's logistics and delivery ecosystem has improved efficiency, reducing inbound lead times by nearly four days year over year [11] Group 2: Market Dynamics - MercadoLibre faces structural headwinds due to its concentration in politically and economically unstable Latin American markets, impacting its growth and margins [4][5] - Amazon's geographic and business-line diversification provides steadier cash flows and lower earnings volatility compared to MercadoLibre [9][21] - MELI's advertising revenues are significantly lower than Amazon's, limiting its ability to diversify margins [7][13] Group 3: Financial Metrics - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre's fourth-quarter 2025 EPS is $11.85, indicating a 6.03% year-over-year decline, while Amazon's is $1.97, reflecting a 5.9% year-over-year increase [7][14] - MELI trades at 2.96x forward 12-month Price/Sales, while AMZN trades at 3.18x, with AMZN's valuation being more defensible due to improving retail profitability and high-margin advertising [18] Group 4: Investment Outlook - Amazon is viewed as a more compelling investment opportunity due to its stable global market exposure, stronger earnings momentum, and defensible valuation [21] - MercadoLibre's growth is seen as solid but vulnerable to rising costs and regional volatility, leading to a more cautious investment stance [21]