MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay--(BUSINESS WIRE)--
Mercado Libre, Inc. (“Mercado Libre”) announces the successful issuance of its 2036 senior unsecured notes for a total amount of USD 1,000 million.The transaction was met with strong demand from more than one hundred institutional investors. This demonstrates continued confidence in Mercado Libre’s strategy, execution and cash generation capacity. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes, and will further strengthen the company’s liquidity.
"We're grateful to investors for their continued support. We priced this new 10-year note at the same spread as our previous 7-year issuance, despite the longer tenor. That reflects the confidence investors continue to place in Mercado Libre's execution and business model, and marks another step in our consolidation as a full investment grade issuer in the international capital markets," said Martín de los Santos, CFO of Mercado Libre.
The transaction was led by BofA Securities, Citigroup, Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC,, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley as Global Coordinators and Lead Book-Running Managers and Allen & Company and Santander as Joint Book-Running Managers.
About Mercado Libre
Founded in 1999, Mercado Libre is the largest ecommerce and fintech ecosystem in Latin America. Mercado Libre’s efforts are centered on enabling e-commerce and digital financial services for our users through a complete suite of technology solutions, with a mission of democratizing access to commerce and financial services.
Mercado Libre is listed on NASDAQ (Nasdaq: MELI) following its initial public offering in 2007.
Senior unsecured notes are a type of loan a company borrows from investors, promising to pay back with interest. They are called "unsecured" because they aren’t backed by specific assets like buildings or equipment, but "senior" because they are paid back before other debts if the company gets into trouble. Investors see them as a relatively safer way for companies to raise money.
spreadfinancial
Spread is the difference between two related prices, rates or yields — most commonly the gap between what buyers are willing to pay and what sellers are asking. Investors watch spreads because a wider gap can signal higher transaction costs, lower market liquidity or greater perceived risk, while a narrower gap suggests cheaper trading and closer agreement on value; think of it like the space between a car’s listed price and the offer a buyer makes, which affects how easy and costly a deal will be.
SEC registered means a company or its securities are formally filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which requires regular public disclosure of financials and key business information. For investors it signals greater transparency and legal oversight — like a product that must meet safety labeling rules — which can make shares easier to buy or sell, reduce information risk, and help assess a company’s credibility.
investment grade issuerfinancial
An investment grade issuer is a company, government, or other borrower whose debt securities receive an investment-grade credit rating from a recognized ratings agency (commonly BBB- / Baa3 or higher). That label signals lower perceived risk of default, so investors treat its bonds more like lending to a well-established neighbor than to a risky startup, and it influences borrowing costs, investor demand, and which funds or mandates are allowed to hold the debt.
