Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) vs Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | MELI | 39.1% revenue growth vs AMZN's 12.4% |
| Value | AMZN | Lower P/E (27.0x vs 30.8x) |
| Quality / Margins | AMZN | 10.8% net margin vs MELI's 6.9% |
| Stability / Safety | MELI | Beta 0.88 vs AMZN's 1.31 |
| Dividends | Tie | Neither pays a meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AMZN | -1.1% vs MELI's -17.2% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AMZN | 9.5% ROA vs MELI's 4.7%, ROIC 14.7% vs 20.8% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
MercadoLibre is the dominant e-commerce and fintech platform across Latin America, operating online marketplaces and financial services. It generates revenue primarily from marketplace commissions and advertising fees (roughly 60%) and fintech services including payments, credit, and digital wallets (roughly 40%). The company's moat comes from its integrated ecosystem—combining e-commerce, payments, logistics, and credit—which creates powerful network effects and high switching costs across Latin America's fragmented markets.
Amazon is a global e-commerce and technology giant that operates online marketplaces, physical stores, and cloud computing services. It generates revenue primarily from online retail sales (~80% of total), Amazon Web Services cloud computing (~15%), and advertising/subscription services like Prime. Its key competitive advantage is an immense logistics network and data infrastructure moat—including AWS's dominant cloud position—that creates massive scale economies and ecosystem lock-in.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AMZN leads in 3 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Valuation Metrics). MELI leads in 1 (Profitability & Efficiency). 1 tied.
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AMZN is the larger business by revenue, generating $716.9B annually — 24.8x MELI's $28.9B. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 10.8% (AMZN) to 6.9% (MELI). On growth, MELI holds the edge at +44.6% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $28.9B | $716.9B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $4.0B | $126.3B |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $2.0B | $77.7B |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $10.1B | $7.7B |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +44.5% | +50.3% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +11.1% | +11.2% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +6.9% | +10.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +35.0% | +1.1% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +44.6% | +13.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -12.5% | +4.8% |
Valuation Metrics
At 29.3x trailing earnings, AMZN trades at a 34% valuation discount to MELI's 44.6x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, AMZN's 18.4x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than MELI's 24.1x.
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $89.1B | $2.25T |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $96.8B | $2.32T |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 44.62x | 29.29x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 30.76x | 27.03x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | 1.05x |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 24.09x | 18.38x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 3.08x | 3.14x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 13.20x | 5.55x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 8.27x | 292.96x |
Profitability & Efficiency
MELI delivers a 29.6% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $30 in annual profit, vs $19 for AMZN. AMZN carries lower financial leverage with a 0.37x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to MELI's 1.69x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AMZN scores 6/9 vs MELI's 5/9, reflecting solid financial health.
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +29.6% | +18.9% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +4.7% | +9.5% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +20.8% | +14.7% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +28.3% | +15.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 5 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 1.69x | 0.37x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $7.7B | $66.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $3.7B | $86.8B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $11.4B | $153.0B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | — | 42.78x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AMZN five years ago would be worth $13,349 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $10,259 for MELI. Over the past 12 months, AMZN leads with a -1.1% total return vs MELI's -17.2%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AMZN at 30.6% vs MELI's 12.9% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -10.9% | -7.3% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -17.2% | -1.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +44.1% | +122.9% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +2.6% | +33.5% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +1628.4% | +660.0% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +12.9% | +30.6% |
Risk & Volatility
MELI is the less volatile stock with a 0.88 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than AMZN's 1.31 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AMZN currently trades 81.2% from its 52-week high vs MELI's 66.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.88x | 1.31x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $2645.22 | $258.60 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $1665.00 | $161.38 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +66.4% | +81.2% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 28.7 | 39.9 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 418K | 40.7M |
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates MELI as "Buy" and AMZN as "Buy". Consensus price targets imply 59.9% upside for MELI (target: $2810) vs 35.2% for AMZN (target: $284).
| Metric | MELIMercadoLibre, Inc. | AMZNAmazon.com, Inc. |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Buy |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $2810.00 | $283.97 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 33 | 94 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | — |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | — |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | — |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +0.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) | 100 | 334.4 | +234.4% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 100 | 248.68 | +148.7% |
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) returned +33% over 5 years vs MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI)'s +3%. A $10,000 investment in AMZN 5 years ago would be worth $13,349 today (including dividends reinvested).
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) | $844M | $28.9B | +3321.7% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | $136.0B | $716.9B | +427.2% |
MercadoLibre, Inc.'s revenue grew from $844M (2016) to $28.9B (2025) — a 48.1% CAGR. Amazon.com, Inc.'s revenue grew from $136.0B (2016) to $716.9B (2025) — a 20.3% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) | 16.1% | 6.9% | -57.2% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 1.7% | 10.8% | +521.4% |
MercadoLibre, Inc.'s net margin went from 16% (2016) to 7% (2025). Amazon.com, Inc.'s net margin went from 2% (2016) to 11% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 9 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) | 88.8 | 51.1 | -42.5% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 188.6 | 32.2 | -82.9% |
MercadoLibre, Inc. has traded in a 45x–89x P/E range over 4 years; current trailing P/E is ~45x. Amazon.com, Inc. has traded in a 32x–189x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~29x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) | 3.09 | 39.39 | +1174.8% |
| Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) | 0.25 | 7.17 | +2768.0% |
MercadoLibre, Inc.'s EPS grew from $3.09 (2016) to $39.39 (2025) — a 33% CAGR. Amazon.com, Inc.'s EPS grew from $0.25 (2016) to $7.17 (2025) — a 45% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
MercadoLibre, Inc. generated $11B FCF in 2025 (+2930% vs 2021). Amazon.com, Inc. generated $8B FCF in 2025 (+152% vs 2021).
MELI vs AMZN: Frequently Asked Questions
9 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is MELI or AMZN a better buy right now?
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) offers the better valuation at 29.3x trailing P/E (27.0x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) a "Buy" — based on 33 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — MELI or AMZN?
On trailing P/E, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is the cheapest at 29.3x versus MercadoLibre, Inc. at 44.6x. On forward P/E, Amazon.com, Inc. is actually cheaper at 27.0x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — MELI or AMZN?
Over the past 5 years, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) delivered a total return of +33.5%, compared to +2.6% for MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI). A $10,000 investment in AMZN five years ago would be worth approximately $13K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: MELI returned +1628% versus AMZN's +660.0%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — MELI or AMZN?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) is the lower-risk stock at 0.88β versus Amazon.com, Inc.'s 1.31β — meaning AMZN is approximately 48% more volatile than MELI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 37% versus 169% for MercadoLibre, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which has better profit margins — MELI or AMZN?
Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) is the more profitable company, earning 10.8% net margin versus 6.9% for MercadoLibre, Inc. — meaning it keeps 10.8% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AMZN leads at 11.2% versus 11.1% for MELI. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AMZN leads at 50.3%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
06Is MELI or AMZN more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) trades at 27.0x forward P/E versus 30.8x for MercadoLibre, Inc. — 3.7x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for MELI: 59.9% to $2810.00.
07Which pays a better dividend — MELI or AMZN?
None of the stocks in this comparison currently pay a material dividend. All are effectively zero-yield and should be held for capital appreciation rather than income.
08Is MELI or AMZN better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, MercadoLibre, Inc. (MELI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0.88), +1628% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (MELI: +1628%, AMZN: +660.0%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
09What are the main differences between MELI and AMZN?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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