MELI vs YUMC

Internet Retail · market cap $93.9b. Down 27% from 52-week high of $2548.50 — deep drawdown territory. Revenue growing +36% — in hypergrowth territory. 24 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $2,209 (implying +19% upside).

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. $93.9b 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.

Trailing P/E 49x 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.

Restaurants · market cap $14.8b. Down 26% from 52-week high of $58.39 — deep drawdown territory. 21 sell-side analysts rate this a Strong Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $61.34 (implying +43% upside).

ROE 17% sits above Buffett's preferred 15% threshold — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately. FCF converts 98% of net income — earnings translate cleanly into cash, a sign that working capital and capex are well-disciplined.

Mature compounder — the risk is paying up for quality at a moment when growth is decelerating. Watch for sequential revenue + margin trends; the inflection from "compounder" to "ex-compounder" is hard to spot until the multiple already started compressing.