COMPARE · Reviewed July 2, 2026
KTB vs MELI
Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. KTB scored 76.3, MELI scored 80.4 — MELI ahead by 4.1000000000000085.
KTB
Kontoor Brands, Inc.
76.3
$85.00
Score gap
4.1000000000000085
MELI leads
MELI
MercadoLibre, Inc.
80.4
$1763.36
The companies
KTBKontoor Brands, Inc.
Why now
Apparel Manufacturing · market cap $4.7b. Trading near 52-week high of $87.00 — momentum setup, limited technical margin of safety. Revenue growing +21%, comfortably above the S&P median. PEG 0.82 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 10 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $92.40 (implying +9% upside).
Moat
ROE 45% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. FCF converts 144% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.
Risk
D/E 2.06 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Trading within 2% of the 52-week high — limited technical margin of safety; a momentum reversal would test conviction.
MELIMercadoLibre, Inc.
Why now
Internet Retail · market cap $89.4b. Down 31% from 52-week high of $2548.50 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +34% — in hypergrowth territory. 24 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $2,209 (implying +25% upside).
Moat
ROE 26% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which. 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. $89.4b 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
Down 31% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Trailing P/E 47x sits well above the S&P median (~20x) — multiple compression is a real risk if revenue growth decelerates. 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.
Base grades (each contributes ~14.3% of base composite)
| KTB | Component | MELI |
|---|---|---|
| C65 | FCF | A-90 |
| A-90 | Rev | A95 |
| C65 | D/E | C+70 |
| B+85 | P/E or P/S | C65 |
| B+85 | PEG | B+85 |
| Supplemental signals · feed the score, not on the row card | ||
| A-90 | FCF Yield | A95 |
| A95 | ROE | A-90 |
| 82.7 | Base composite | 85.4 |
Adjustments (signed deltas applied on top of base)
KTB
GARP sweet spot (PEG <1, positive FCF)+1
analyst consensus bullish (70% buy/strong-buy)+2
covered yield (2.5% at 42% payout)+1
DCF cross-check (avg upside 117%)+2
Total+6
MELI
hypergrowth premium (rev +34%)+2
analyst consensus bullish (83% buy/strong-buy)+2
forward P/E cheaper (47 → 30)+1
DCF cross-check (avg upside 160%)+2
Total+7
DCF cross-check (per-share value vs. live price)
| KTB upside | Horizon | MELI upside |
|---|---|---|
| +58% | 1Y | +85% |
| +102% | 5Y | +142% |
| +190% | 10Y | +254% |
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.