Sea Limited, together with its subsidiaries, engages in the digital entertainment, e-commerce, and digital financial service businesses in Southeast Asia, Latin America, rest of Asia, and internationally. It offers Garena digital entertainment platform for users to access mobile and PC online games, as well as eSports operations. The company also operates Shopee e-commerce platform, a mobile-centric marketplace that provides integrated payment and logistics infrastructure and seller services. In addition, it offers SeaMoney digital financial services to individuals and businesses, including offline and online mobile wallet, and payment processing services, as well as other offerings across credit, insurtech, and digital bank services under the ShopeePay, SPayLater, SeaBank, SeaInsure, and other digital financial services brands; and payment processing services for Shopee. The company was formerly known as Garena Interactive Holding Limited and changed its name to Sea Limited in April 2017. Sea Limited was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Singapore.

Sea Limited looks like a company with strong revenue and earnings growth, but the market is already pricing in noticeably optimistic expectations. Revenue rose to 7.79 billion, while net income and operating income remain consistently positive and are improving year over year, which supports the fundamental valuation. Gross profit margin at 44.34% looks healthy and is slightly better than the industry median, and ROA and ROI are also above the sector averages. At the same time, ROE and especially return on tangible equity do not look outstanding relative to the industry, which limits the case for a higher re-rating. The company’s balance sheet is strong: debt-to-equity is very low, current and quick ratios are comfortable, and the cash position is large, reducing financial risk. Growth in assets and equity confirms business expansion and an improving financial base. The weak point is valuation: P/E, P/S, and P/B are significantly above the industry median, meaning investors are already paying a premium for quality and growth. P/FCF, however, is closer to normal, so overvaluation does not look extreme, but the margin of safety on multiples is limited. The company pays no dividend, so shareholder returns depend entirely on business growth and market revaluation. Overall, the fundamentals point to a high-quality, growing, and financially resilient business, but the current price already reflects a substantial part of these advantages. For a conservative investor, this argues for a moderate reduction in the target rather than an aggressive revision.

INDIA-12.26

Sea Limited

Сильный индекс, значительно вырос. Быки крепко уверены в своих позициях.

Strong index, significantly up. The bulls are very confident in their positions.

Сильный индекс, незначительно вырос. Рынок не поддерживает быков.

Strong index, slightly up. The market does not support the bulls.

Сильный индекс, значительно упал. Отток средств из лонгов на высоком уровне.

Strong index, significantly down. Outflow of funds from longs at a high level.

Strong growth in revenue and profit, combined with low debt, supports the valuation, but high P/E, P/S, and P/B ratios indicate a notable price premium.

Key Points
Amazon's AWS cloud business drives the company's profits as a result of artificial intelligence.
Sea Limited's gaming, e-commerce, and fintech enterprises are driving rapid revenue growth.
Investors understandably tie today's technology industry to artificial intelligence (AI). Since cutting-edge technology has driven much of the innovation, investors could easily fall into the trap of assuming that all tech companies are AI enterprises as well.
Nonetheless, in many tech enterprises, AI is more of a secondary growth driver. Given that, tech stocks like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) should continue to drive long-term growth, even though only one is an AI company.
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The AI company: Amazon
Most of the public knows Amazon best for its e-commerce platform. This is crucial because no matter where one stands on the state of the market, the e-commerce part of the business is highly recession-resistant due to the wide variety of goods it offers.
However, even with faster-growth businesses like digital advertising and third-party seller services, its retail business is generally a slower-growth, lower-margin segment.
Instead, most of its growth comes from its AI-driven cloud arm, Amazon Web Services (AWS). Despite accounting for just 21% of the company's revenue in the first half of 2026, it delivers the majority of the company's operating income.
With that, Amazon reported $382 billion in net sales in the first two quarters of 2026, an 18% increase from the same period in 2025.
Admittedly, its net income points to struggles. Even though it reported $92 billion in profit in the first half of 2026, $69 billion came from investment gains. Thus, when subtracting those increases, Amazon's net income barely grew over the same period.
Other income also skewed its P/E ratio down to 21, an unusually low level for Amazon. Furthermore, after decades of reporting massive free cash flows, it reported a $7.6 billion outflow over the trailing 12 months. With the company pledging $220 billion in capital expenditures (capex), the cost of keeping up in the AI race has strained its balance sheet.
Nonetheless, its 31 forward P/E ratio suggests its valuation is well below historical levels. Additionally, the spending that has strained the balance sheet and income statement is an investment that should make the upside worth the risk. Thus, it likely pays to be patient with Amazon stock.
The non-AI company: Sea Limited
In one respect, Sea Limited is the non-AI version of Amazon, with a leading e-commerce business, Shopee.
It differs from Amazon in that it operates a fintech enterprise, Monee, which continues to gain traction in its home region of Southeast Asia. Also, the company started as a gaming company, Garena, which survives today and is best known for the popular mobile game Free Fire. All three businesses are recession-resistant, which could mitigate stock selling in tougher times.
Fortunately, that does not appear to be a problem at the moment. In the first half of 2026, revenue increased 47% year over year to $14.9 billion, with all three segments growing in the double digits.
Its net income of $896 million grew by a more modest 9% annually, as the company increased operating expenses to invest in its business. Although the lower profit may disappoint investors now, those investments could drive revenue and profit growth later.
Moreover, since it is not an AI company, it only spent about $793 million in capex over the trailing 12 months, and the $4.9 billion in free cash flow over the same period suggests it can afford such investments.
Indeed, the investments probably led to significant declines in the stock over the last year. Still, even with slower profit growth, the stock trades at just 37 times earnings. Additionally, with a forward P/E ratio of 25 and its efforts to invest for the future, Sea Limited is arguably a stock investors should consider buying.
Should you buy stock in Amazon right now?
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Will Healy has positions in Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

2 Tech Stocks to Buy Now and Hold for a Decade (Hint: 1 Isn't in the AI Trade)

Key Points
The transaction was executed on September 15, 2026, and September 16, 2026, at a weighted average price of $103.96 per share, totaling $249,504.
Traded shares were equal to 0.21% of the total equity stake held before the filing, leaving the core position largely unchanged.
The disposal was completed indirectly through a British Virgin Islands entity controlled by the insider, which now holds 1,980 shares.
Activity was conducted under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on March 26, 2026, indicating routine portfolio management.
Wang Yanjun, CCO and GC of Sea Limited (NYSE:SE), sold 2,400 Class A ordinary shares as disclosed in a SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
Transaction value
$249,504
Shares sold (indirectly held)
2,400
Post-transaction shares (directly held)
1,132,842
Post-transaction value
$117.5 million
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($103.96); post-transaction value based on Sept. 16, 2026, market close ($103.50).
Key questions
What are the specifics of the trading plan governing this transaction?
The sale was executed pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on March 26, 2026, by a British Virgin Islands entity under the control of Wang Yanjun. This pre-established plan allows for scheduled transactions to avoid concerns regarding material non-public information.
How does this sale impact the insider's total equity exposure?
The 2,400 shares sold represent 55% of the shares held indirectly before the transaction but only 0.21% of the total equity position. The insider retains a direct holding of ~1.1 million Class A ordinary shares, which were not affected by this filing.
What is the context of the stock's recent performance?
Sea Limited has seen a one-year return of -45% as of the Sept. 16, 2026, transaction date. The company, which operates in digital entertainment, e-commerce, and digital financial services, currently has an insider ownership percentage of 0.19%.
At what price levels were the executions completed?
The transactions occurred at a weighted-average price of $103.96, with individual sale prices ranging from $102.57 to $106.49 over the two-day period.
Company Overview
Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-16)
$103.50
Market Capitalization
$62.1 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$27.7 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$1.6 billion
Company Snapshot
Sea Limited operates a diversified digital ecosystem spanning digital entertainment via its Garena platform, e-commerce, and digital financial services across Southeast Asia, Latin America, and other international markets.
The company generates revenue through multiple channels, including in-game monetization and eSports events under Garena, marketplace transaction fees and seller services in e-commerce, and financial transaction fees and lending products in digital financial services.
Sea Limited serves a broad base of consumers and merchants across emerging markets, targeting mobile-first users in Southeast Asia and Latin America who seek gaming entertainment, online shopping, and financial services.
Sea Limited is a leading digital platform operator with a market capitalization of $62.1 billion and TTM revenue of $27.7 billion, demonstrating significant scale across multiple high-growth markets. The company leverages its integrated ecosystem approach to drive cross-platform engagement and monetization, with particular strength in mobile gaming and e-commerce penetration in underserved emerging markets. Sea's diversified business model across entertainment, commerce, and fintech provides multiple growth vectors and revenue diversification, positioning it as a comprehensive digital services provider in its core geographies.
What this transaction means for investors
I believe that it's always important for retail investors to put insider transactions into context. For example, insider sales are often triggered by rather mundane reasons, including prearranged sales and tax strategies. Therefore, it's best for investors to return to a company's fundamentals to get a true sense of how a company is performing. With that in mind, let's have a closer look at Sea Limited (SE).
To start, let's review how SE stock has performed relative to the broader stock market. Since 2021, SE stock has generated a total return of -69%, equating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of -21%. The S&P 500, meanwhile, has delivered a total return of 89% over this period, with a CAGR of 13.6%.
As for its core fundamentals, most have shown solid improvement. Revenue, for example, has soared from $8.3 billion in 2021 to over $27.7 billion. Similarly, free cash flow has steadily increased from around $1.0 billion in 2021 to $5.2 billion now. Valuation has also improved, with SE's price-to-sales (P/S) ratio falling from around 25.0x in 2021 to a far more reasonable 2.3x today.
However, there are concerns, too. SE operates in a fiercely competitive landscape. Its e-commerce business is capital-intensive and relatively low-margin. Its gaming division, meanwhile, is increasingly dependent on an aging mobile game, Free Fire.
In summary, investors must weigh two competing narratives for SE. Bulls point to rising revenue and free cash flow, along with much improved valuation. Bears would argue that SE's business simply isn't worthy of its past multiple, given its competitive threats and its reliance on a single game franchise.
Should you buy stock in Sea Limited right now?
Before you buy stock in Sea Limited, consider this:
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Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $389,154!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,406,303!*
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Jake Lerch has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Insider Sale: Executive Parts Ways With 2,400 Shares of Tech Stock

MercadoLibre, Inc. MELI has a premium valuation, with its forward P/E multiple well above the industry average and key peers. The stock is currently trading at a forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 35.63X, above the industry average of 20.09X and its one-year median of 34.46X.
MELI also trades at a sizable premium to key peers. Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN carries a forward P/E of 22.26X, while Sea Limited SE trades at 20.41X. MercadoLibre's strong growth profile supports some valuation premium, but the current multiple leaves less room for execution setbacks. With profitability pressured by investments and earnings estimates moving lower, sustaining the premium will depend on continued growth and improved operating leverage.
MercadoLibre Faces Near-Term Challenges
A key concern for MercadoLibre is mounting pressure on profitability as management continues to prioritize long-term growth and engagement over near-term margins. In the second quarter of 2026, the operating margin was 6.7%, down 550 basis points year over year, reflecting higher investments across the business.
In Brazil, MercadoLibre lowered seller take rates in selected verticals and offered discounts to consumers using PIX. These initiatives are aimed at improving selection, pricing and engagement, but management acknowledged that they contributed to margin compression during the quarter. Higher logistics expenses stemming from energy costs also weighed modestly on profitability, with the company choosing to absorb part of the increase rather than fully pass it on to users.
The acquiring business is also facing additional cost pressure. Higher chip costs have made point-of-sale devices more expensive, while MercadoLibre’s decision to build device inventory in Mexico created an upfront margin drag, as the devices are sold at a loss to encourage adoption. Management indicated that the elevated device-cost environment could persist in the near term.
Mexico presents further challenges. Management cited tax reform and a weaker macroeconomic environment as headwinds to commerce growth. Overall, lower take rates, promotional spending, higher logistics costs and rising device expenses could keep MercadoLibre’s margins under pressure in the near term.
MELI Stock Lags the Broader Market
Shares of MercadoLibre have slumped 26.3% over the past year compared with the industry's and the Zacks Retail – Wholesale sector's respective declines of 6.3% and 7.5%. The stock has also underperformed the S&P 500's 14.8% gain over the same period.
MercadoLibre has underperformed Amazon as well. AMZN’s shares have advanced 8.6% during the period. Sea Limited, however, has fared worse, with SE stock declining 46.9%.
MercadoLibre’s Growth Engines Remain Strong
Despite the near-term pressures, MercadoLibre continues to benefit from healthy momentum across commerce and fintech. Second-quarter revenues surpassed $10 billion for the first time, supported by strong marketplace activity, expanding buyer engagement and continued growth in Brazil.
Cross-border trade is broadening merchandise selection and strengthening the marketplace, while Mercado Pago continues to deepen customer engagement through payments, savings and credit. Fintech monthly active users increased 30% year over year, and assets under management remained on a strong growth trajectory.
Advertising represents another promising growth avenue, helped by increasing adoption of AI-driven tools. Importantly, users active across both the marketplace and Mercado Pago are growing rapidly and generate greater activity across the ecosystem, reinforcing MercadoLibre's commerce-fintech flywheel.
Earnings Estimates Trend Lower for MercadoLibre
Recent estimate revisions add another layer of caution. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre's current fiscal-year earnings per share has declined from $41.00 to $39.11 over the past 60 days. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate has fallen from $59.18 to $56.05.
The downward revisions indicate softer earnings expectations despite the company's strong top-line expansion. Given MELI's premium valuation, continued negative estimate revisions could make it harder to justify the stock's current multiple.
How to Play MELI Stock?
MercadoLibre's long-term growth prospects across e-commerce, fintech, advertising and credit remain attractive, but the near-term setup warrants caution. MELI's 35.63X forward P/E remains well above the industry and key peers even after its sizable share-price decline. Meanwhile, aggressive investments are weighing on margins, Mexico faces near-term headwinds and earnings estimates have moved lower. These factors make the stock's current valuation harder to justify without stronger earnings momentum. Investors may therefore prefer to remain cautious on MELI and wait for greater visibility on margin improvement and stabilization in earnings estimates before taking a more constructive stance.
MELI currently carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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MercadoLibre Trading at 35.63X P/E: Should You Exit MELI Stock?

Key Points
The transactions occurred on Sept. 15 and Sept. 16, 2026, at a weighted average price of $103.97 per share.
Gang Ye traded shares equal to 0.19% of the total equity stake held before the filing.
The disposition was executed indirectly through a British Virgin Islands entity controlled by the reporting person.
The sale was conducted under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established on May 21, 2026.
Sea Limited (NYSE:SE) COO Gang Ye sold 40,000 Class A ordinary shares in a series of transactions valued at approximately $4.2 million, according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
Transaction value
$4.2 million
Shares sold
40,000
Post-transaction shares (total holdings)
21,035,197
Post-transaction shares (directly held)
20,396,405
Post-transaction value
$2.18 billion
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($103.97); post-transaction value based on September 16, 2026 market close ($103.50).
Key questions
What was the structure of the reported transactions?
The sale was a scheduled disposition rather than a discretionary trade. Gang Ye utilized a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which allows insiders to set up a pre-determined schedule for selling stock to manage portfolio diversification or liquidity needs.
What is the scale of the remaining equity position?
Following the transaction, Gang Ye maintains a substantial stake in Sea Limited, holding approximately 21.0 million shares. This position consists of ~20.4 million shares held directly and 638,792 shares held indirectly through a BVI entity, representing a total market value of $2.18 billion as of the September 16, 2026 market close.
How has the stock performed relative to this activity?
The stock was priced at $103.50 at the September 16, 2026 market close. This valuation follows a 12-month period where the share price declined by 45% as of the transaction date.
What is the broader context of the company's financial operations?
Sea Limited, which operates digital entertainment, e-commerce, and financial services platforms, reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $27.7 billion and net income of $1.6 billion. The company employs 102,700 full-time personnel and maintains a market capitalization of $58.7 billion as of the latest data.
Company Overview
Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-16)
$103.50
Market Capitalization
$58.7 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$27.7 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$1.6 billion
Company Snapshot
Sea Limited operates three core business segments: digital entertainment through its Garena platform offering online games and eSports events, e-commerce operations serving consumers across multiple regions, and digital financial services providing payment and fintech solutions to its user base.
The company generates revenue through multiple monetization channels including in-game purchases and advertising within its digital entertainment platform, transaction fees and take-rates from e-commerce marketplace operations, and service fees from its digital financial services offerings.
Sea Limited serves a diverse customer base spanning Southeast Asia, Latin America, and broader Asian markets, targeting digital-native consumers and merchants seeking entertainment, shopping, and financial services solutions in emerging markets.
Sea Limited is a leading digital ecosystem operator with a market capitalization of $58.7 billion and TTM revenues of $27.7 billion, demonstrating significant scale across emerging markets. The company leverages its diversified portfolio of digital entertainment, e-commerce, and fintech services to create cross-selling opportunities and network effects. Sea's strategic positioning in high-growth markets with expanding digital adoption provides competitive advantages in capturing secular trends toward digital commerce and entertainment consumption.
What this transaction means for investors
As a Sea Limited shareholder, I do not feel concerned about Gang Ye's share sale, and I think other investors should feel the same.
Although he sold 40,000 shares, the sale occurred under the Rule 10b5-1 framework, meaning he pre-planned it to avoid the appearance of acting on inside information. Additionally, the sale amounted to only 0.19% of his shares, and since his existing stake is worth about $2.18 billion, he likely remains bullish on Sea Limited stock.
The bullishness is probably warranted. The company has invested heavily in its business to remain the leading e-commerce company in Southeast Asia through its Shopee business segment. This bolsters Monee, its fintech business that operates primarily in the same region.
Furthermore, it started as a mobile gaming company, Garena, and titles like Free Fire have kept that business in a growth mode.
These three businesses have revenue growing at 47% annually in the first half of 2026, though its net income has increased at a more modest 9% growth rate as it reinvests in its business.
Considering that growth, its 39 P/E ratio is arguably cheap for such a fast-growing stock. That is likely bolstering Ye's continued faith in the consumer discretionary stock, and should position Sea Limited to earn outsized returns longer term.
Should you buy stock in Sea Limited right now?
Before you buy stock in Sea Limited, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Sea Limited wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $412,074!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,314,319!*
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*Stock Advisor returns as of September 17, 2026.
Will Healy has positions in Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Sea Limited COO Gang Ye Sells $4.2 Million in Shares

Artificial intelligence is becoming a broader productivity and monetization tool at MercadoLibre, Inc. MELI. During the second quarter of 2026, the company’s AI investment grew roughly $80 million year over year, with spending split between the cost of goods sold and Product Development. Management highlighted several areas where the technology is already producing tangible returns.
Management said about 20,000 MercadoLibre developers are now using AI, with human-written code becoming the exception. Code submissions increased 110% year over year, merged code more than doubled, and deployments rose nearly 75%, even as rollbacks declined. MercadoLibre also said AI agents independently reviewed more than half a million code submissions and migrated roughly 9,000 services to newer platforms over the past year.
AI is also becoming more visible in the marketplace. MercadoLibre completed the rollout of its AI-powered search architecture across its five largest sites, generating higher conversion and click-through rates that management said more than offset third-party LLM costs. Seller Assistant usage is also rising, with sellers representing almost half of GMV using the tool and more than half of Help Portal requests resolved without human intervention.
Higher AI spending has not prevented operating efficiencies. Product Development expenses fell to 7.2% of net revenues from 8.4% a year earlier, while cost per token declined both sequentially and year over year. Management views AI less as a cost line to optimize and more as an accelerator, supported by 27 years of proprietary data across commerce, payments, credit and logistics.
How Does MercadoLibre Stack Up Against Its Industry?
MercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Sea Limited SE, has seen its shares gain 15.2% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 3.8% rise. While Amazon shares have climbed 4.3%, Sea Limited has rallied 22.6% in the aforementioned period.
What Does MercadoLibre's Current Valuation Suggest?
From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 37.18, higher than the industry average of 20.87. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.46.
MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (forward 12-month P/E of 22.70) and Sea Limited (21.49).
What Do Earnings Estimates Signal for MercadoLibre?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales implies year-over-year growth of 44.6%, while the consensus estimate for earnings per share suggests a decline of 0.7%. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 28.9% rise in sales and 43.3% growth in earnings.
MELI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners, but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like D-Wave Quantum, which shot up +680.1%.
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MercadoLibre's AI Investments Are Set to Drive the Next Growth Chapter

Looking today at week-over-week shares outstanding changes among the universe of ETFs covered at ETF Channel, one standout is the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (Symbol: IEFA) where we have detected an approximate $808.6 million dollar inflow -- that's a 0.4% increase week over week in outstanding units (from 1,942,200,000 to 1,950,200,000). Among the largest underlying components of IEFA, in trading today Spotify Technology SA (Symbol: SPOT) is down about 2.1%, Sea Ltd (Symbol: SE) is up about 0.1%, and Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd (Symbol: TEVA) is lower by about 0.1%. For a complete list of holdings, visit the IEFA Holdings page » The chart below shows the one year price performance of IEFA, versus its 200 day moving average:
Looking at the chart above, IEFA's low point in its 52 week range is $85.025 per share, with $101.44 as the 52 week high point — that compares with a last trade of $100.72. Comparing the most recent share price to the 200 day moving average can also be a useful technical analysis technique -- learn more about the 200 day moving average ».
Exchange traded funds (ETFs) trade just like stocks, but instead of ''shares'' investors are actually buying and selling ''units''. These ''units'' can be traded back and forth just like stocks, but can also be created or destroyed to accommodate investor demand. Each week we monitor the week-over-week change in shares outstanding data, to keep a lookout for those ETFs experiencing notable inflows (many new units created) or outflows (many old units destroyed). Creation of new units will mean the underlying holdings of the ETF need to be purchased, while destruction of units involves selling underlying holdings, so large flows can also impact the individual components held within ETFs.
Further IEFA Research:

IEFA, SPOT, SE, TEVA: ETF Inflow Alert

MercadoLibre, Inc.’s MELI fintech segment, Mercado Pago, is rapidly solidifying its position as Latin America’s leading financial services platform. The company’s second-quarter 2026 performance demonstrates how its integrated digital finance ecosystem is capturing market share, expanding daily user engagement and driving massive payment volumes across key regional markets.
During the quarter, Mercado Pago’s Monthly Active Users surged 30% year over year to 88 million, with Brazil and Mexico growing 38% and 45%, respectively. The company also cited market-leading NPS in Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Chile, suggesting that growth is being accompanied by strong user satisfaction.
The platform is increasingly deepening its role in users’ financial lives, as reflected in Assets Under Management, which jumped 68% year over year to $23.2 billion, while AUM per user climbed 29% to $264. Consumer and credit-card exposure per user also increased, showing stronger engagement with Mercado Pago beyond everyday payments.
Mercado Pago’s credit portfolio expanded 75% year over year to $16.4 billion. Within the portfolio, credit-card balances surged 91.3% to about $7.7 billion and accounted for 47% of total credit exposure, up from 43% a year earlier. MercadoLibre issued 2.6 million new cards during the quarter compared with 1.6 million a year ago.
This rapid credit expansion occurred alongside stable asset quality, with the 15-90-day NPL ratio remaining near historic lows at 7%. Payment processing also maintained powerful momentum, as Total Payment Volume (“TPV”) jumped 56% year over year to $101 billion, while acquiring TPV reached $64.1 billion.
The strategic synergy between marketplace activity and financial solutions has made cardholders two to three times more likely to remain ecosystemic users. Driven by accelerating card issuance, remunerated accounts and expanding merchant networks, Mercado Pago is strengthening its position as one of Latin America’s leading fintech platforms.
How Does MercadoLibre Stack Up Against Its Industry?
MercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Sea Limited SE, has seen its shares gain 22.7% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 5.9% rise. While Amazon shares have climbed 5.4%, Sea Limited has rallied 32.6% in the aforementioned period.
What Does MercadoLibre's Current Valuation Suggest?
From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 39.01, higher than the industry average of 21.34. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.46.
MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (forward 12-month P/E of 22.76) and Sea Limited (22.82).
What Do Earnings Estimates Signal for MercadoLibre?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales implies year-over-year growth of 44.6%, while the consensus estimate for earnings per share suggests a decline of 0.7%. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 28.9% rise in sales and 43.3% growth in earnings.
Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share has declined by $1.89 to $39.11 for the current fiscal year and by $3.13 to $56.05 for the next fiscal year.
MELI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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Is MercadoLibre Becoming Latin America's Leading Fintech?

Key Points
The transaction involved the sale of 3,000 shares at a weighted average price of $112.88, resulting in a transaction value of $338,640.
The traded shares represented 0.26% of the total equity stake held before the filing.
All shares were sold indirectly through a British Virgin Islands (BVI) entity controlled by the reporting person.
This disposition was executed under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan adopted on March 26, 2026, and reflects routine portfolio management.
Yanjun Wang, CCO and GC of Sea Limited(NYSE:SE), sold 3,000 Class A ordinary shares at $112.88 per share, according to an SEC Form 4 filing.
Transaction summary
Transaction value
$338,640
Post-transaction shares
~1.1 million shares
Post-transaction shares (directly held)
~1.1 million shares
Post-transaction value
~$129.6 million
Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average sale price ($112.88); post-transaction value based on September 03, 2026, market close ($113.10).
Key questions
What was the structural nature of this disposition?
The sale was non-discretionary, executed through a BVI entity pursuant to a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan established in March 2026.
How is the insider's remaining equity structured?
The reporting person continues to hold a substantial direct position of ~1.1 million Class A ordinary shares, while also maintaining an indirect interest in 12,600 shares through the BVI entity.
What is the recent performance context for the security?
Shares of Sea Limited were priced at $113.10 as of the Sept. 3, 2026, market close, and the company has recorded a one-year return of -38% as of the transaction date.
What is the insider's total ownership level following this transaction?
The total equity holdings of the CCO and GC represent approximately 0.19% of the company as of the latest filing.
Company Overview
Share Price (as of market close 2026-09-03)
$113.10
Market Capitalization
$64.1 billion
Revenue (TTM)
$27.7 billion
Net Income (TTM)
$1.7 billion
Company Snapshot
Sea Limited operates three core business segments: digital entertainment through its Garena platform, offering online games and eSports events; e-commerce operations serving consumers across multiple regions; and digital financial services providing payment and fintech solutions to its user base.
The company generates revenue through a diversified business model encompassing in-game monetization and virtual goods sales, marketplace transaction fees and seller services, and financial services commissions and transaction volumes across its digital ecosystem.
Sea Limited serves millions of consumers and merchants primarily across Southeast Asia and Latin America, targeting digitally engaged populations seeking gaming entertainment, online shopping convenience, and accessible financial services in emerging markets.
Sea Limited is a leading digital platform operator with a $64.1 billion market capitalization and TTM revenues of $27.7 billion, demonstrating significant scale across Southeast Asia and Latin America. The company's diversified business model across entertainment, e-commerce, and fintech creates multiple revenue streams and cross-selling opportunities within its integrated ecosystem. Sea's competitive positioning is strengthened by its established user base, regional market presence, and ability to leverage network effects across its interconnected digital services.
What this transaction means for investors
As previously mentioned, Yanjun Wang's decision to sell appears to be a portfolio management decision from just about every apparent perspective.
First, it only involved 0.26% of his holdings, an amount that does not reflect any obvious loss of confidence in the stock. Moreover, she sold shares under the Rule 10b5-1 framework, pre-arranging the sale on March 26, meaning the sale was likely to happen regardless of the stock's performance.
Indeed, March 26 was close to the consumer discretionary stock's 52-week low, and it has steadily risen since then, with earnings reports showing rapid growth across all three of the company's business segments.
In the first half of 2026, revenue increased by 47% to almost $14.9 billion. Although the net income of $896 million during the period grew by only 9% annually, Sea Limited has made investments in its business that should boost the Southeast Asian e-commerce conglomerate in the long term.
Such growth also makes it likely that investors will take its 43 P/E ratio in stride, making it understandable that Wang would keep more than 99.7% of her Sea Limited shares.
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Sea Limited CCO and GC Yanjun Wang Sells 3,000 Shares at $112.88

MercadoLibre, Inc.’s MELI decision to lower its free-shipping threshold in Brazil continues to yield meaningful operational benefits, driving sustained momentum across its marketplace. One year after the change, the initiative has produced a durable shift in buyer engagement, increasing conversion, purchase frequency and cross-category shopping, while unit economics continue to improve.
The company reported that items sold in Brazil rose 56% year over year in the second quarter of 2026 compared with 26% growth a year earlier, while FX-neutral GMV increased 39%. MercadoLibre also added nearly 19 million unique active buyers globally, with fastest growth in Brazil, where management highlighted the compounding impact of the lower threshold.
Rather than providing a temporary boost, the reduced threshold triggered a lasting step-change in conversion rates, which expanded by 1.1 percentage points year over year during the quarter. Daily active users have also continued to grow faster than monthly active users in every quarter since MercadoLibre lowered its free-shipping threshold in June 2025. Items sold per unique active buyer in Brazil climbed 19% year over year, leading the company's overall consolidated 14% increase.
The share of Brazilian buyers purchasing across three or more categories monthly expanded by 10 percentage points over the past year. Newer buyer cohorts are also purchasing more items across more categories and showing higher retention than earlier cohorts. Ecosystemic user growth in Brazil accelerated to almost 50% year over year in the quarter, up from 35% before the shipping-threshold change.
MercadoLibre said that free and slow shipments are now variable contribution-positive across half of the average selling price ranges between R$19 and R$79, as scale, technology and unused logistics capacity reduce costs. MercadoLibre still faced higher shipping costs in the quarter, some of which it absorbed, but the evidence so far suggests the free-shipping move has moved beyond a short-lived promotional lift and is supporting more frequent, broader shopping behavior in Brazil.
How Does MercadoLibre Stack Up Against Its Industry?
MercadoLibre, which competes with Amazon.com, Inc. AMZN and Sea Limited SE, has seen its shares gain 13.6% over the past three months compared with the industry’s 3.1% rise. While Amazon shares have climbed 2%, Sea Limited has rallied 25.4% in the aforementioned period.
What Does MercadoLibre's Current Valuation Suggest?
From a valuation standpoint, MercadoLibre's forward 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio is 39.02, higher than the industry average of 22.13. The stock is also trading above its 12-month median level of 34.46.
MercadoLibre is trading at a premium to Amazon (forward 12-month P/E of 23.35) and Sea Limited (24.46).
What Do Earnings Estimates Signal for MercadoLibre?
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for MercadoLibre’s current financial-year sales implies year-over-year growth of 44.6%, while the consensus estimate for earnings per share suggests a decline of 0.7%. For the next fiscal year, the consensus estimate indicates a 28.9% rise in sales and 43.3% growth in earnings.
Over the past 30 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings per share has declined by $1.89 to $39.11 for the current fiscal year and by $3.13 to $56.05 for the next fiscal year.
MELI currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
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MercadoLibre's Free Shipping Bet Keeps Brazil's Growth Accelerating

Key Points
MercadoLibre's businesses work both separately and together to drive growth.
Sea Limited started as a gaming enterprise, but its e-commerce and fintech businesses have emerged as leaders in Southeast Asia.
Comparing MercadoLibre (NASDAQ: MELI) with Sea Limited (NYSE: SE) may be a difficult feat for investors. Both companies lead e-commerce in their respective regions and have also built successful fintech businesses around serving customers in the developing world.
Additionally, both are profitable companies with fast-growing revenue, making it likely they will succeed over time.
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Still, if choosing one of these stocks, investors will probably need to take a deeper dive into each enterprise to determine which consumer discretionary stock is likely to deliver higher returns.
The case for MercadoLibre
Admittedly, MercadoLibre holds the edge when it comes to focus. For one, it operates exclusively in Latin America. This may look like a disadvantage given the political and economic turmoil that often makes doing business in the region chaotic.
Fortunately, the company has turned Latin America's challenges into competitive advantages. When cash-based customers could not buy on its site, it formed Mercado Pago to bring these shoppers into the digital financial world. With that start, it eventually emerged as a leading fintech company in Latin America.
Furthermore, logistical challenges in its region prompted it to launch Mercado Envios, improving the fulfillment and shipping options available in the region.
These, along with its other enterprises, work both separately and together to spur the company's growth. Amid those synergies, it generated $19 billion in revenue in the first half of 2026, a 50% increase from the year-ago period and a growth rate that has made MercadoLibre hard to ignore.
Still, other parts of the income statement point to issues. During the same period, net income was $883 million, down 13% over the previous year. Increased e-commerce competition led to lower margins, and rising loan volumes forced it to increase the provision for doubtful accounts to cover loans that went bad.
Nonetheless, taking a hit now in these businesses may spark long-term growth, as its competitive moves should help it gain market share. Moreover, while its 53 P/E ratio may sound high, Amazon often traded at higher P/E ratios in its growth years. That could bode well for MercadoLibre as it continues to grow.
Why investors might choose Sea Limited
Sea Limited is the MercadoLibre of Southeast Asia in many respects. Its Shopee business has become the leading e-commerce company in Southeast Asia, and like Amazon and MercadoLibre before it, Sea Limited has invested heavily in logistics to solidify that position.
Additionally, its Monee segment helps cash-based customers buy on Shopee. Like Mercado Pago, Sea Limited has also emerged as a regional fintech leader in its own right.
However, it differs from its peers in that it started as the online gaming company Garena and gained attention with its mobile game, Free Fire. It was only when founder Forrest Li saw the e-commerce opportunity that the company diversified.
Still, that makes it a less cohesive business than MercadoLibre. That lack of connection affected Sea Limited a few years ago, when it made ill-fated attempts to establish e-commerce ventures outside Southeast Asia. Most of those failed quickly, though it continues to operate in Brazil.
Fortunately, after this misstep, Sea Limited followed its peers' lead and invested more heavily in logistics in its home region. This move helped spark a recovery. Consequently, in the first half of 2026, revenue increased by 47% yearly to $14.9 billion. Its net income for that time frame, $896 million, rose by just 9% from the year-ago level. Investments in its business and fast-rising credit losses slowed profit growth.
Nonetheless, like with MercadoLibre, those moves amount to investments in its business that should pay off in the long run. Also, Sea Limited has a P/E ratio of 44, making it slightly cheaper than MercadoLibre and possibly more attractive to some investors.
MercadoLibre or Sea Limited?
Investors are unlikely to go wrong with either company. Still, if I have to choose one, I give the slight edge to MercadoLibre.
Both companies operate leading e-commerce and fintech businesses in their regions, and with opportunities for growth, revenues should continue to rise rapidly. That should help MercadoLibre and Sea Limited beat the market over time.
However, MercadoLibre started as an e-commerce enterprise and later launched other businesses to enhance its e-commerce operations. It operates enterprises that can work together or separately to capitalize on opportunities, making it a comparatively more cohesive enterprise.
In comparison, while all three of Sea's businesses performed well recently, Garena's performance is often not on par with Shopee's and Monee's, and it offers few opportunities for synergies. Amid that difference, it could make sense for investors to pay a slight premium and choose MercadoLibre.
Should you buy stock in MercadoLibre right now?
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The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and MercadoLibre wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
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Will Healy has positions in MercadoLibre and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, MercadoLibre, and Sea Limited. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Indicator	Mar 26	Apr 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	TTM	Median
P/E	32.60	33.68	—	42.02	—	42.02	17.39
Price/Sales	2.09	2.36	—	2.70	—	2.70	0.66
P/B	—	7.25	—	—	6.79	6.79	1.68
P/FCF	10.98	—	13.19	—	13.40	13.40	12.74

Indicator	Mar 26	Apr 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	TTM	Median
ROE	14.03	—	13.45	—	—	13.45	15.36
ROA	5.72	—	—	—	—	5.72	4.97
ROI	13.15	—	12.82	—	—	12.82	8.47
Net Worth	52.68	—	—	67.91	—	67.91	0.82
Quick Ratio	1.56	—	1.48	—	—	1.48	0.85
Current Ratio	1.58	—	1.49	—	—	1.49	1.38

Indicator	Mar 26	Apr 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	TTM	Median
Net Profit Margin	6.36	—	5.94	—	—	5.94	5.79
Operating Margin	8.42	—	8.24	—	—	8.24	8.36
Gross Margin	44.27	—	44.34	—	—	44.34	39.57
Return on tangible equity	14.17	—	13.58	—	—	13.58	22.12

Sea Limited

Recent quarterly and TTM performance

Valuation

Debts

Efficiency

Other ratios

Revenue

Indicator	Mar 26	Apr 26	Jun 26	Jul 26	Sep 26	TTM	Median
EPS	—	—	—	—	—	0.00	0.52
EPS Forecast	—	—	—	—	—	0.26	0.51
Revenue	7.10B	—	7.79B	—	—	7.79B	193.00M
Gross Profit	3.15B	—	3.55B	—	—	3.55B	—
EBITDA	593.00M	—	650.00M	—	—	650.00M	—