Key Points
Sold 28,631 shares; estimated trade value of $55.23 million (quarterly average price estimate).
Position value decreased by $62.50 million quarter-over-quarter, reflecting share sale and stock price movement.
Change represented a 2.17% shift in 13F reportable AUM.
Post-sale holding: 16,879 shares, valued at $29.18 million.
The position now represents 1.14% of fund AUM, placing it outside the fund's top five holdings.
James Hambro & Partners LLP trimmed its stake in MercadoLibre(NASDAQ:MELI) during the first quarter, according to an April 22, 2026, SEC filing.
What happened
In its quarterly filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC filing) dated April 22, 2026, James Hambro & Partners LLP reported a sale of 28,631 shares of MercadoLibre, with the estimated value of the transaction at $55.23 million based on the average closing price from January through March 2026. The quarter-end value of the fund's position declined by $62.50 million, capturing both the share reduction and price performance.
What else to know
- Following the sale, MercadoLibre represented 1.14% of 13F reportable AUM, down from 3.3% the previous quarter.
- Top five holdings after the period:
- NASDAQ:GOOGL: $216.87 million (8.5% of AUM)
- NYSE:JPM: $195.62 million (7.7% of AUM)
- NYSE:APH: $179.47 million (7.0% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:AMZN: $163.83 million (6.4% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:MSFT: $157.95 million (6.2% of AUM)
- As of April 21, 2026, shares were priced at $1,854.18, down 9.8% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 46.8 percentage points.
Company Overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue (TTM) | $28.89 billion |
| Net Income (TTM) | $2.00 billion |
| Price (as of market close 2026-04-21) | $1,854.18 |
| One-Year Price Change | -9.84% |
Company Snapshot
- Offers an integrated suite of platforms including the Mercado Libre Marketplace, Mercado Pago fintech services, Mercado Envios logistics, Mercado Credito lending, and Mercado Ads advertising solutions.
- Operates a diversified business model generating revenue from e-commerce transactions, payment processing, logistics, digital advertising, and consumer and merchant lending.
- Serves businesses, merchants, and individual consumers across Latin America.
MercadoLibre, Inc. is a leading e-commerce and fintech provider in Latin America, leveraging a multi-platform ecosystem to drive digital commerce and financial inclusion across the region. The company’s scale, integrated logistics, and payment infrastructure create significant network effects and competitive advantages. MercadoLibre’s strategy centers on expanding its user base, deepening engagement, and broadening its financial services offerings to capture growth in underpenetrated markets.
What this transaction means for investors
James Hambro unloaded most of its MercadoLibre position at a time when the company has struggled with competitive challenges and the consequences of a rapid expansion of its credit portfolio.
The filing did not explain why the investment firm sold. Still, the consumer discretionary stock is down 30% from its high, and challenges to its business have undoubtedly hurt the company.
MercadoLibre faces competition from the likes of Amazon, Sea Limited, and other smaller e-commerce operations, particularly in its largest markets.
Moreover, its provision for doubtful accounts increased by 66% in 2025, faster than its 39% revenue growth for the same period. Consequently, net income rose by only 5% over the same timeframe.
Nonetheless, MercadoLibre has cut margins to put pressure on its competitors. It is also using AI evaluation and loan limits to address the rise in doubtful accounts.
Furthermore, investors should remember that MercadoLibre has a history of thriving because of its challenges. Thus, investors should not rule out a recovery, and James Hambro could still benefit since it retained some shares.
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JPMorgan Chase is an advertising partner of Motley Fool Money. Will Healy has positions in MercadoLibre and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Amphenol, JPMorgan Chase, MercadoLibre, Microsoft, and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
