MELI vs. SE: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at MELI and SE, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.
Company Profile
MELI is a standard domestic listing, while SE trades as an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), offering U.S. investors access to its foreign-listed shares.
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | MercadoLibre, Inc. | Sea Limited |
| Country | Uruguay | Singapore |
| GICS Sector | Consumer Discretionary | Communication Services |
| GICS Industry | Broadline Retail | Entertainment |
| Market Capitalization | 122.07 billion USD | 111.03 billion USD |
| Exchange | NasdaqGS | NYSE |
| Listing Date | August 10, 2007 | October 20, 2017 |
| Security Type | Common Stock | ADR |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of MELI and SE by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period. Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.
Historical Performance at a Glance
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| 5-Day Price Return | 2.77% | 4.63% |
| 13-Week Price Return | -7.61% | 16.72% |
| 26-Week Price Return | 15.99% | 37.68% |
| 52-Week Price Return | 21.06% | 126.65% |
| Month-to-Date Return | 1.43% | 19.73% |
| Year-to-Date Return | 41.60% | 76.77% |
| 10-Day Avg. Volume | 0.31M | 5.73M |
| 3-Month Avg. Volume | 0.35M | 4.42M |
| 3-Month Volatility | 27.54% | 50.73% |
| Beta | 1.51 | 1.56 |
Profitability
Return on Equity (TTM)
MELI
43.06%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 49.17%
- Q3
- 28.98%
- Median
- 19.22%
- Q1
- 10.86%
- Min
- -11.14%
In the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry, MELI’s Return on Equity of 43.06% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
SE
13.69%
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 42.50%
- Q3
- 22.75%
- Median
- 12.88%
- Q1
- 7.15%
- Min
- -6.84%
SE’s Return on Equity of 13.69% is on par with the norm for the Entertainment industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.
Net Profit Margin (TTM)
MELI
8.52%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 19.78%
- Q3
- 11.90%
- Median
- 8.63%
- Q1
- 5.21%
- Min
- 0.82%
MELI’s Net Profit Margin of 8.52% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Broadline Retail industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
SE
6.17%
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 45.25%
- Q3
- 23.93%
- Median
- 14.60%
- Q1
- 4.89%
- Min
- -22.94%
SE’s Net Profit Margin of 6.17% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Entertainment industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)
MELI
12.30%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 27.23%
- Q3
- 15.96%
- Median
- 11.13%
- Q1
- 8.31%
- Min
- 1.77%
MELI’s Operating Profit Margin of 12.30% is around the midpoint for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.
SE
7.63%
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 46.83%
- Q3
- 28.87%
- Median
- 15.26%
- Q1
- 8.95%
- Min
- -5.53%
SE’s Operating Profit Margin of 7.63% is in the lower quartile for the Entertainment industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | 43.06% | 13.69% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 7.57% | 5.11% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 8.52% | 6.17% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 12.30% | 7.63% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 45.87% | 44.96% |
Financial Strength
Current Ratio (MRQ)
MELI
1.20
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 3.54
- Q3
- 2.42
- Median
- 1.49
- Q1
- 1.22
- Min
- 0.67
MELI’s Current Ratio of 1.20 falls into the lower quartile for the Broadline Retail industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.
SE
1.55
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 6.80
- Q3
- 3.77
- Median
- 1.87
- Q1
- 0.86
- Min
- 0.39
SE’s Current Ratio of 1.55 aligns with the median group of the Entertainment industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)
MELI
1.28
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.14
- Q3
- 1.34
- Median
- 0.63
- Q1
- 0.27
- Min
- 0.00
MELI’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 1.28 is typical for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
SE
0.65
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 1.65
- Q3
- 0.71
- Median
- 0.14
- Q1
- 0.04
- Min
- 0.00
SE’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.65 is typical for the Entertainment industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)
MELI
13.22
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 37.34
- Q3
- 20.63
- Median
- 11.28
- Q1
- 4.22
- Min
- -19.29
MELI’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 13.22 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Broadline Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.
SE
-6.05
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 62.11
- Q3
- 31.19
- Median
- 7.50
- Q1
- 2.02
- Min
- -6.33
SE has a negative Interest Coverage Ratio of -6.05. This indicates that its earnings were insufficient to cover even its operational costs, let alone its interest payments, signaling significant financial distress.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (MRQ) | 1.20 | 1.55 |
| Quick Ratio (MRQ) | 1.18 | 1.39 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) | 1.28 | 0.65 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 13.22 | -6.05 |
Growth
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
Dividend
Dividend Yield (TTM)
MELI
0.00%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.46%
- Q3
- 2.38%
- Median
- 0.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MELI currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
SE
0.00%
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 2.54%
- Q3
- 1.29%
- Median
- 0.61%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SE currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)
MELI
0.00%
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 131.17%
- Q3
- 63.48%
- Median
- 29.43%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
MELI has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
SE
0.00%
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 82.30%
- Q3
- 45.76%
- Median
- 29.16%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
SE has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Valuation
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)
MELI
58.41
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 66.12
- Q3
- 35.17
- Median
- 16.29
- Q1
- 10.47
- Min
- 5.94
A P/E Ratio of 58.41 places MELI in the upper quartile for the Broadline Retail industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.
SE
88.79
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 53.51
- Q3
- 45.31
- Median
- 33.16
- Q1
- 18.21
- Min
- 3.89
At 88.79, SE’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Entertainment industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)
MELI
4.98
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 5.40
- Q3
- 3.33
- Median
- 2.04
- Q1
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.16
MELI’s P/S Ratio of 4.98 is in the upper echelon for the Broadline Retail industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.
SE
5.48
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 12.81
- Q3
- 7.20
- Median
- 4.68
- Q1
- 3.32
- Min
- 0.79
SE’s P/S Ratio of 5.48 aligns with the market consensus for the Entertainment industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)
MELI
23.19
Broadline Retail Industry
- Max
- 9.06
- Q3
- 5.22
- Median
- 3.48
- Q1
- 1.90
- Min
- 0.74
At 23.19, MELI’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Broadline Retail industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.
SE
9.79
Entertainment Industry
- Max
- 17.11
- Q3
- 8.38
- Median
- 5.24
- Q1
- 2.18
- Min
- 0.67
SE’s P/B Ratio of 9.79 is in the upper tier for the Entertainment industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | MELI | SE |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) | 58.41 | 88.79 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) | 4.98 | 5.48 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) | 23.19 | 9.79 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM) | 16.24 | 32.38 |