Main Street Research Dumps 15,000 MercadoLibre Shares for $37 Million

The Motley FoolFeb 11, 2026 9:33 PM

Key Points

Main Street Research LLC sold 15,833 shares of MercadoLibre; estimated trade size was $37.00 million based on quarterly average pricing.
Quarter-end position value decreased by $37.00 million, reflecting the sale of the entire MercadoLibre position.
Transaction represented approximately 2.12% of Main Street Research's 13F reportable assets under management.
The position previously accounted for 2.0% of the fund's AUM in the prior quarter, marking a full exit from a significant holding.
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On February 9, 2026, Main Street Research LLC disclosed in an SEC filing that it sold out its entire position in MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI).

What happened

Main Street Research LLC reported in a recent SEC filing dated February 9, 2026, that it sold all 15,833 shares of MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI) during the fourth quarter. The estimated transaction value was $37.00 million, based on the average share price over the quarter. The quarter-end value of the position fell by $37.00 million, reflecting the full liquidation and any price movement during the period.

What else to know

Top holdings after the filing:
- NASDAQ:NVDA: approximately $111.12 million (approximately 6.4% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:GOOGL: approximately $99.44 million (approximately 5.7% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:MSFT: approximately $81.35 million (approximately 4.7% of AUM)
- NYSEMKT:ISCF: approximately $79.14 million (approximately 4.5% of AUM)
- NASDAQ:AAPL: approximately $79.09 million (approximately 4.5% of AUM)
As of February 8, 2026, shares of MercadoLibre were priced at $1,970.15, down approximately 1.3% over the past year, underperforming the S&P 500 by 15.3 percentage points

Company overview

Metric	Value
Revenue (TTM)	$26.19 billion
Net income (TTM)	$2.08 billion
Price (as of market close February 6, 2026)	$1,970.15
One-year price change	(1.3%)

Company snapshot

Offers e-commerce marketplaces, digital payments (Mercado Pago), credit solutions, logistics (Mercado Envios), and advertising services across Latin America.
Generates revenue primarily through transaction fees, payment processing, credit interest, logistics services, and advertising placements on its platforms.
Serves consumers, merchants, and businesses seeking online retail, payment, and financial technology solutions in Latin American markets.

MercadoLibre is a leading Latin American e-commerce and fintech platform, operating at scale across multiple countries. The company's integrated ecosystem of marketplace, payments, credit, and logistics drives user engagement and monetization. Its broad service offering and deep regional presence provide a competitive edge in capturing digital commerce and financial services growth in the region.

What this transaction means for investors

MercadoLibre was the largest of the 17 positions Main Street Research closed out in the fourth quarter of 2025.

The filing does not say why Main Street Research sold MercadoLibre. However, the fund began buying shares in the third quarter of 2024. Over the last year, the stock significantly underperformed the S&P 500, and it is unclear whether it earned a profit on this investment.

Moreover, rising competition from companies like Amazon and Sea Limited weighed on its sales growth. On the fintech side of the business, Mercado Pago had to allocate more than $2.1 billion to account for losses on underperforming loans, possibly explaining why investors soured on the stock.

Time will tell whether Main Street made the right move. Nonetheless, MercadoLibre is using AI and loan limits to address rising bad-loan losses. Additionally, an economic recovery in Argentina and a leadership change in Venezuela could stoke activity in two of its most critical markets, meaning now may not be the time to give up on the consumer discretionary stock.

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Will Healy has positions in MercadoLibre and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, MercadoLibre, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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