Core Insights - MercadoLibre (MELI) and JD.com (JD) are leading e-commerce platforms outside the U.S., with MELI dominating Latin America and JD.com in China, both evolving into integrated ecosystems combining commerce, logistics, and fintech [1][2] Group 1: Business Models and Growth - MercadoLibre operates on a marketplace-centric, asset-light model, achieving 39% revenue growth in Q3 2025, compared to JD.com's 15% growth, but faces margin compression with operating income growing only 30% [3][4] - JD.com has a vertically integrated logistics infrastructure, with 24% revenue growth in marketplace and advertising in Q3 2025, and a significant increase in active merchant counts by over 200% year-over-year [10][8] Group 2: User Acquisition and Fintech Operations - MercadoLibre reached 75 million quarterly active buyers, adding 7.8 million in Q3, but aggressive spending on free shipping and promotions has compressed contribution margins [4][5] - JD.com is expanding into higher-margin areas like food delivery, although profitability in this segment requires navigating intense competition [10][8] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - MELI's 2025 EPS is estimated at $39.80, reflecting a 5.6% year-over-year growth, while JD's EPS is pegged at $2.82, indicating a 33.8% decline [6][11] - Over the past six months, MELI shares declined 18.5%, while JD shares fell 8.7%, indicating greater investor confidence in JD's balanced growth approach [12] - MELI trades at a forward earnings multiple of 33.8x, while JD trades at 9.3x, suggesting a premium for MELI's growth expectations despite JD's consistent margin expansion [14] Group 4: Competitive Positioning - JD.com's disciplined approach balances growth with margin expansion, positioning it favorably against MercadoLibre's strategy that sacrifices profitability for market share [17] - The contrasting market expectations are evident, with JD's valuation discount appearing attractive given its ability to sustain double-digit growth while improving profitability [14][17]

Core Insights - JD.com operates a vertically integrated e-commerce model that emphasizes direct procurement, proprietary logistics, and strict quality control, which is expected to be crucial as China's e-commerce market matures and user retention becomes more important [1] User Growth and Revenue - JD's user base is expanding, with quarterly active customers increasing over 40% year over year, and annual active customers surpassing 700 million in October [2] - Total net revenues grew 14.9% year over year to RMB 299.1 billion, driven by increased merchant activity and higher traffic [2] - Shopping frequency has climbed more than 40% for two consecutive quarters, indicating a shift in revenue composition [2] Ecosystem and Technology Integration - JD Food Delivery is enhancing daily engagement, leading to increased purchases in supermarkets and general merchandise [3] - The expansion into lower-tier cities through Jingxi is broadening JD's reach without compromising its core positioning [3] - Investments in AI search, personalization, and JD Streamer are expected to improve conversion efficiency and reduce costs for merchants [3] Revenue Estimates and Competition - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JD's 2025 revenues is $186.3 billion, reflecting a 15.8% year-over-year increase, supported by user momentum [4] - JD faces intense competition from PDD Holdings and Alibaba, with each pursuing different strategies for user growth [5] - JD differentiates itself through fulfillment reliability and merchandise quality, which aids in user conversion and retention [5] Price Performance and Valuation - JD.com's shares have declined 12% over the past six months, underperforming the Zacks Internet-Commerce industry and Retail-Wholesale sector [6] - The company is trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio of 9.73X, significantly lower than the industry's 24.36X [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for JD's 2025 earnings is $2.82 per share, indicating a 33.8% decline year over year [11]