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MercadoLibre, Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 4 November 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 45 percent: Net revenues and financial income were $10,750mn, up 45% YoY and 41% on an FX-neutral basis. Source
  • Operating income fell 6 percent: Income from operations was $676mn, down 6% YoY, with a margin of 6.3%, which is 40bps below the prior quarter. Source
  • Shipping and marketing drove margin decline: Sequential margin decline was attributed to a 60bps net shipping headwind and 40bps higher sales and marketing spend. Source
  • NIMAL down one point: NIMAL was 20.1%, 1ppt lower YoY, which management attributed to the mix shift toward the credit card. Source
  • Brazil cost per shipment fell: Brazil cost per shipment was 5% lower YoY in local currency and 14% lower than Q1'25, despite higher energy prices and new capacity. Source
  • Net shipping margin fell 200bps: Net shipping margin fell by about 200bps as a percentage of GMV since Q1'25, which management attributed to lower-priced items and smaller baskets. Source
  • Ecosystem users grew fastest: Ecosystemic users grew 33% YoY, faster than any other segment; users who shop and bank generate 70% more GMV than marketplace-only users. Source

“The results give us confidence in that sequence.”

MercadoLibre, Inc., press release

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Netflix partnership announced in October to join the connected TV offering from early 2027, alongside Disney, Roku and HBO Max. Source
  • New: Engage+ launched, using AI to direct brand spend toward users likely to engage; now live across six sites. Source
  • New: In September, free and fast shipping on lower-priced items was extended to MELI+ members across all delivery methods in the managed network, in Argentina. Source
  • New: Second investment grade bond issue concluded in September, raising $1bn. Source
  • New: Robotics is now live in Mexico as well as Brazil, according to the letter. Source
  • New: Cuenta de Negocios, a merchant business account, launched in Mexico in August and is already available in Brazil. Source

Quarter results and growth

  • Revenue rose 45 percent: Net revenues and financial income were $10,750mn, up 45% YoY and 41% on an FX-neutral basis. Source
  • Operating income fell 6 percent: Income from operations was $676mn, down 6% YoY, with a margin of 6.3%, which is 40bps below the prior quarter. Source
  • Net income rose on tax and FX: Net income was $448mn, up 6% YoY, with the lower tax rate and smaller FX losses offsetting the lower operating income. Source
  • Shipping and marketing drove margin decline: Sequential margin decline was attributed to a 60bps net shipping headwind and 40bps higher sales and marketing spend. Source

Segments and regions

  • Brazil marketplace growth continued: Brazil FX-neutral GMV grew 36% YoY, with sold items up 45% and the two-year growth rate accelerating on both metrics. Source
  • Mexico growth slowed on demand: Mexico FX-neutral GMV grew 21% YoY and items sold 25%; management cited the tax reform and weaker consumption, while market share rose QoQ and YoY. Source
  • Argentina marketplace growth with soft demand: Argentina FX-neutral GMV grew 40% YoY and items sold 19%, with management describing a soft consumption backdrop. Source
  • Brazil fintech users above 35 percent: Management said Brazil monthly active users grew above 35% YoY, faster than any other player of scale, and cited NPS leadership. Source

“Today, we are choosing to invest, because the habits we are building are worth more than the margin we are forgoing in the short term to build them.”

MercadoLibre, Inc., press release

Credit, acquiring and merchants

  • Credit portfolio up 62 percent: The credit portfolio reached almost $18bn, with the credit card at 47% of the portfolio, up from 44% a year earlier. Source
  • NIMAL down one point: NIMAL was 20.1%, 1ppt lower YoY, which management attributed to the mix shift toward the credit card. Source
  • Card NIMAL improved sequentially: Management said credit card NIMAL improved sequentially as maturing Brazil cohorts offset dilution from a record issuance quarter. Source
  • Asset quality near historic lows: The 15 - 90 day NPL was 7.0%, broadly stable YoY and QoQ, close to all-time lows, despite industry-wide weakness in Argentina and Brazil. Source
  • Acquiring volume up 40 percent: Acquiring TPV grew 40% YoY FX-neutral: 31% in Brazil, 43% in Mexico and 55% in Argentina. Source
  • Merchant lending up 15 percent: The merchant portfolio grew 15% QoQ, faster than the credit portfolio overall, with delinquency stable. Source

Shipping costs and margins

  • Brazil cost per shipment fell: Brazil cost per shipment was 5% lower YoY in local currency and 14% lower than Q1'25, despite higher energy prices and new capacity. Source
  • Net shipping margin fell 200bps: Net shipping margin fell by about 200bps as a percentage of GMV since Q1'25, which management attributed to lower-priced items and smaller baskets. Source
  • Shipping compressed gross margin: Shipping reduced gross margin by 40bps: charges rose 60bps while costs rose 100bps, with energy prices and network expansion cited. Source
  • Network expansion added G&A: Shipping network expansion added 20bps to G&A through recruitment costs; fulfillment square meters rose almost 20% QoQ ahead of peak season. Source
  • Sales and marketing rose 40bps: Sales and marketing rose 40bps QoQ to 11.6% of net revenue, including a tactical increase in affiliate spend in Brazil. Source
  • Product development showed leverage: Product and technology development showed operating leverage, despite higher AI investment, while POS restocking reversal added about 30bps. Source

“For Mercado Libre and Latin America, the best is coming.”

MercadoLibre, Inc., press release

Engagement and demand

  • Buyers purchase more often: Buyers make 12 purchases a year with the company, compared with more than 50 online purchases for consumers in more developed markets. Source
  • Brazil items per buyer up 16 percent: Brazil items per buyer grew 16% YoY, still double-digit after fully lapping the lower free shipping threshold. Source
  • Ecosystem users grew fastest: Ecosystemic users grew 33% YoY, faster than any other segment; users who shop and bank generate 70% more GMV than marketplace-only users. Source
  • TPV per user up 34 percent: Fintech TPV per user rose 34% YoY as users transacted more with Mercado Pago. Source
  • Share gained in three largest markets: Management said it gained share in each of its three largest markets, and that buyers purchased more often. Source
  • Argentina interior growth accelerated: Growth accelerated most in Argentina's interior, where e-commerce penetration lags Buenos Aires and the free shipping benefit is more valued. Source

Cash, capital and debt

  • Adjusted free cash flow $285mn: Adjusted free cash flow was $285mn, after $503mn of capex and $2.1bn of credit portfolio investment, partly offset by $1.5bn of fintech funding. Source
  • Net debt higher than year-end: Net debt was $8,028mn at September 30, 2026, against $4,682mn at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Second investment grade bond: Management concluded a second investment grade bond issue in September, raising $1bn to reinforce liquidity. Source
  • Capex and depreciation for quarter: Quarterly capital expenditures were $503mn and depreciation and amortization was $306mn. Source

AI, advertising and strategy

  • Advertising revenue up 51 percent: Advertising revenue grew 51% YoY FX-neutral, ahead of the market, with slower growth in Argentina and Mexico. Source
  • Engage+ reaches more users cheaply: In testing, Engage+ reached significantly more engaged users at a fraction of the cost per engaged user than conventional reach campaigns. Source
  • AI investment up almost $30mn: Investment in AI grew almost $30mn QoQ, and cost per token fell again this quarter. Source
  • Customer support AI staffing: Management said customer support handles current volume with around 7,000 representatives, and estimated a multiple of that would be needed without AI. Source
  • Commerce media expansion: The company is building commerce media, measuring brand advertising on streaming and social platforms against marketplace purchases. Source
  • Sorters and robots doubled: Sorters and robots in the network more than doubled over the past year, with robotics live in Mexico and Brazil. Source
  • Long-term margin confidence: Management said it remains confident in its long-term margin trajectory, citing the structural drivers that improved this quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 4 November 2026

  • Netflix joins connected TV offering: Netflix is due to join the connected TV offering from early 2027. Source
  • Shipping cost gains expected over time: Management expects lower cost per shipment to flow into lower shipping costs as a share of GMV and revenue, without a linear path. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Fintech monthly active users (millions, Q3'26) Source93
Unique active buyers (millions, Q3'26) Source94
Gross merchandise volume (USD millions, Q3'26) Source22,818
Number of items sold (millions, Q3'26) Source867
Total payment volume (USD millions, Q3'26) Source108,801
Acquiring total payment volume (USD millions, Q3'26) Source68,279

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: New fulfillment capacity carries costs before the volume that fills it, so progress on shipping costs will not be linear. Source
  • Financial: Credit card NIMAL is diluted by fast issuance, since new cohorts start with losses before their interest income builds. Source
  • External: Net income benefited from smaller FX losses; FX losses were $72mn in the quarter against $102mn a year earlier. Source
  • Regulatory: The Mexico tax reform, flagged earlier in the year, continued to weigh on demand in the quarter. Source
  • Demand: Argentina consumption was described as soft, and management said the company continued to gain share from physical retail. Source
  • External: Energy prices were higher in Q2 and Q3, raising transportation costs. Source
  • Demand: Management described the Brazil competitive environment as intense but stable. Source
  • Financial: Management noted industry-wide credit weakness in Argentina and Brazil, while the company's NPL stayed close to all-time lows. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said growth from lower-priced items was the intended result of lowering the free shipping threshold. Source
  • Not stated: Management referred back to the Mexico tax reform it had flagged earlier in the year as weighing on demand. Source
  • Not stated: Management said adding capacity ahead of peak season is a pattern repeated every year. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.