LIVE
MELI
MercadoLibre, Inc. · Consumer Discretionary
$1,607.80
-12.67% this month
VERSUS
⟷
COMPARE
SE
Sea Limited · Consumer Discretionary
$86.56
-3.84% this month
AI Score
62.9vs49.1
MELI ↑1Y Return
-37.72%vs-49.20%
MELI ↑Forward P/E
28.61xvs16.33x
SE ↑Target Upside
+30.74%vs+62.31%
SE ↑Scoreboard verdict
Across AI score, momentum, valuation, upside, operating margin
MELI
2
SE
2
Metrics last refreshed: 6/6/2026
Quick take
MELI vs SE: MercadoLibre vs Sea Limited — Which EM Tech Stock Wins?: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
MercadoLibre and Sea Limited are both emerging market digital commerce and fintech platforms, with MercadoLibre dominant in Latin America and Sea Limited dominant in Southeast Asia. Both address large underbanked and underserved consumer markets. MercadoLibre is more profitable and has a more mature business; Sea Limited is earlier in its profitability journey with more variable gaming revenue.
Use this MELI vs SE comparison to choose your emerging markets e-commerce and fintech exposure. MercadoLibre offers a more proven and profitable Latin American platform with deep fintech penetration; Sea Limited offers high-growth Southeast Asian exposure with more execution risk across its three divisions.
Live analysis · updated 6/6/2026
MELI and SE are closely matched — they split the tracked metrics evenly. MELI has delivered stronger 1-year price return (-37.72% vs -49.20%), though SE trades at the lower forward P/E (16.33x vs 28.61x). Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for SE (+62.31%) than for MELI (+30.74%).
Comparison scoreboard
MIXED SETUPAI Score
MELI ✓62.9
SE 49.1
1Y Return
MELI ✓-37.72%
SE -49.20%
Fwd P/E
MELI 28.61
SE ✓16.33
Target Up.
MELI +30.74%
SE ✓+62.31%
Op. Margin
MELI 6.91%
SE N/A
Normalized 1Y performance
MELI
SE
Recent returns
MELI
SE
Analyst price targets & sentiment
MELI · 25 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Buy (1.6/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$1,868.21
analyst high$3,200.00
analyst mean$2,216.96
current price$1,607.80
+30.7% upside to analyst mean
SE · 28 analysts
STRONG BUYHOLDSTRONG SELL
Strong Buy (1.3/5.0)
Price target range
analyst low$101.00
analyst high$195.00
analyst mean$140.50
current price$86.56
+62.3% upside to analyst mean
Who should consider this stock?
MELI may suit investors who:
- →Want the dominant Latin American e-commerce and fintech platform with proven profitability
- →Value MercadoLibre's deep fintech penetration in underbanked markets as a long-term compounder
- →Are comfortable with Latin American currency and regulatory risk in exchange for regional dominance
- →Prefer a more mature emerging market technology business with established unit economics
SE may suit investors who:
- →Want exposure to Southeast Asia's fast-growing digital economy via the region's leading e-commerce platform
- →Believe SeaMoney's financial services penetration will compound as Southeast Asian middle class grows
- →Are willing to accept gaming revenue risk from Garena in exchange for Shopee's platform potential
- →Are comfortable with higher volatility and uncertainty in exchange for exposure to multiple high-growth markets
Performance & AI score
| Metric | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| AI score | 62.9 | 49.1 |
| AI rank | #126 | #517 |
| Latest close | $1,607.80 | $86.56 |
| 1M return | -12.67% | -3.84% |
| 6M return | -24.85% | -36.08% |
| 1Y return | -37.72% | -49.20% |
$10,000 invested — hypothetical growth (dividends reinvested)
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $6.23K (-37.7%) started 2025-06-05 | $5.08K (-49.2%) started 2025-06-05 |
| 5Y ago | $12.13K (+21.3%) started 2021-06-07 | $3.36K (-66.4%) started 2021-06-07 |
| 10Y ago | $116.28K (+1062.8%) started 2016-06-06 | $53.23K (+432.3%) started 2017-10-20 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
Valuation & upside potential
| Metric | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $85.96B | $53.02B |
| Trailing P/E | 44.85 | 34.08 |
| Forward P/E | 28.61 | 16.33 |
| Price/Sales | 5.62 | 2.10 |
| EV/Revenue | 2.91 | 1.83 |
| Analyst target | $2,216.96 | $140.50 |
| Target upside | +30.74% | +62.31% |
Growth, profitability & risk
| Metric | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth | 49.00% | 46.60% |
| Earnings growth | -15.60% | 3.10% |
| EPS growth | -15.60% | +3.10% |
| FCF margin | -12.91% | +3.51% |
| Operating margin | 6.91% | N/A |
| Profit margin | 6.04% | 6.36% |
| ROIC proxy | 31.26% | 14.86% |
| Return on equity | 31.26% | 14.86% |
| Dividend yield | N/A | N/A |
| Beta | 1.41 | 1.57 |
| Debt/equity | 169.98 | 27.61 |
| Current ratio | 1.16 | 1.58 |
| Quick ratio | 0.44 | 0.76 |
Drawdown & downside risk
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
1Y risk snapshot
MELI max drawdown40.82%
SE max drawdown60.22%
MELI max wkly drop15.16%
SE max wkly drop18.01%
5Y risk snapshot
MELI max drawdown68.64%
SE max drawdown90.51%
MELI max wkly drop33.57%
SE max wkly drop38.19%
10Y risk snapshot
MELI max drawdown69.12%
SE max drawdown90.51%
MELI max wkly drop33.57%
SE max wkly drop38.19%
Performance metrics by period
| Period | Metric | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growth | -37.72% | -49.20% |
| CAGR | -37.74% | -49.23% | |
| Sharpe ratio | -1.12 | -1.18 | |
| Max drawdown | 40.82% | 60.22% | |
| Max daily drop | 12.70% | 16.53% | |
| Max wkly drop | 15.16% | 18.01% | |
| 5Y | Growth | +21.33% | -66.36% |
| CAGR | +3.95% | -19.60% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.24 | -0.09 | |
| Max drawdown | 68.64% | 90.51% | |
| Max daily drop | 16.88% | 28.68% | |
| Max wkly drop | 33.57% | 38.19% | |
| 10Y | Growth | +1062.80% | +432.35% |
| CAGR | +27.82% | +21.40% | |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.65 | 0.55 | |
| Max drawdown | 69.12% | 90.51% | |
| Max daily drop | 16.88% | 28.68% | |
| Max wkly drop | 33.57% | 38.19% |
Business comparison
| Category | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Company | MercadoLibre, Inc. | Sea Limited |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Discretionary |
| Industry | Internet Retail | N/A |
| Core business | Latin America's dominant e-commerce marketplace (Mercado Libre), digital payments platform (Mercado Pago), logistics network (Mercado Envíos), and credit and insurance services. Operates across 18 Latin American countries. | Southeast Asian and emerging market digital company spanning e-commerce (Shopee), digital payments (SeaMoney), and online gaming (Garena). Operates primarily in Southeast Asia, Taiwan, and with Shopee Brazil as an international push. |
| Investor focus | Gross merchandise volume growth, Mercado Pago total payment volume and fintech penetration, credit portfolio quality, logistics network efficiency, and Brazil and Mexico market dominance. | Shopee e-commerce profitability, SeaMoney lending and financial services growth, Garena user stabilisation, and free cash flow generation after heavy investment years. |
MELI strengths
- →Dominant marketplace and fintech platform in Latin America with deep brand recognition and network effects
- →Mercado Pago has evolved into a full financial services platform for underbanked populations across the region
- →First-party logistics network (Mercado Envíos) creates a competitive advantage in speed and reliability
SE strengths
- →Shopee is the leading e-commerce platform in Southeast Asia with strong mobile-first execution
- →SeaMoney provides financial services to underbanked populations in fast-growing Southeast Asian economies
- →Garena's Free Fire game has a large and loyal user base in Southeast Asia and Latin America
Risks to watch — MELI
- →Latin American currency volatility creates reporting noise and can impact US dollar-denominated returns
- →Credit portfolio expansion carries risk in a region with higher default rates than developed markets
- →Regulatory risk across multiple emerging market jurisdictions
Risks to watch — SE
- →Garena gaming revenue has been declining as Free Fire ages and competition increases
- →Shopee faces intense competition from TikTok Shop and Lazada across Southeast Asia
- →Profitable unit economics for Shopee in key markets have been hard to sustain while investing in growth
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