COMPARE · Data as of August 24, 2026
BABA vs MELI
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. BABA scored 39.4, MELI scored 72.8 — MELI leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. MELI's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but BABA's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
BABA
Alibaba Group Holding Limited
39.4
$118.47 · $284.0B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
33.4
MELI leads
MELI
MercadoLibre, Inc.
72.8
$1,947.90 · $98.8B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
- Fastest growthMELI+41.2%
- Strongest balance sheetBABA0.24
- Highest qualityMELI75 / 100
- Largest discount to fair valueMELI-58%
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
BABA
stronger →← stronger
MELI
44
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
75
38
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
98
66
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
53
MELI is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
BABA
MELI
-$7.6bF
FCF
$12.4bA-
+2.7%C
Rev
+41.2%A
0.24A-
D/E
1.69C+
1.8xC+
P/S
—
0.50A
PEG
1.37B
—
P/E
53.0xD
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Valuation · DCF cross-check
BABA
MELI
—
Price vs fair valuelower is cheaper
58% below
—
Growth the price implies10-yr FCF · lower = less priced in
~-7%/yr
—
1-yr DCF upside
+80%
—
5-yr DCF upside
+135%
—
10-yr DCF upside
+245%
The DCF is a cross-check on intrinsic value, separate from the quality-growth score above.
Model signals
BABA
Why this score
- Foreign reporter (CNY)
MELI
Why this score
- Durable high returns
The companies
BABAAlibaba Group Holding Limited
Why now
Internet Retail · market cap $284.0b. Down 39% from 52-week high of $192.67 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.50 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 39 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $188.37 (implying +59% upside).
Moat
$284.0b market cap places it among the largest companies in the sector — distribution, R&D, and customer-acquisition costs amortize across a base peers can't replicate.
Risk
Free cash flow is negative (-$7.6b) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Down 39% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. E-commerce competition — Amazon, Walmart, Shein, and Temu have each forced the rest of the category to compete on price, fulfillment speed, or assortment; sustaining margins requires one of those being structurally defended.
MELIMercadoLibre, Inc.
Why now
Internet Retail · market cap $98.8b. Down 24% from 52-week high of $2548.50 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +41% — in hypergrowth territory. 24 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $2,257 (implying +16% upside).
Moat
ROE 24% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. Free cash flow runs well ahead of reported net income — non-cash charges (depreciation, intangible amortization) are holding down GAAP earnings while cash generation stays strong. $98.8b market cap gives the company enough scale to absorb fixed costs that subscale competitors can't, without yet being so large that growth has to come from acquisition.
Risk
Trailing P/E 53.0x prices in sustained high growth — any quarter that disappoints triggers sharp re-rating. E-commerce competition — Amazon, Walmart, Shein, and Temu have each forced the rest of the category to compete on price, fulfillment speed, or assortment; sustaining margins requires one of those being structurally defended.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where BABA and MELI diverge
On the headline score the gap is 33.4 points in favor of MELI. They get there differently, though — each leads on a different pillar, so the better pick depends on which you weight.
- GrowthBABA 37.9 · MELI 98.1MELI +60.2
- QualityBABA 44.3 · MELI 74.8MELI +30.5
- ValueBABA 66.0 · MELI 52.6BABA +13.4
Pillars run 0–100 against sector peers, so a score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.