Mercado Libre Dethrones Mining Company Vale as Latin America's Most Valuable Company
- Vale SA has lost US$40 billion and its position as the most valuable company in Latin America due to the decline in iron ore prices.
From a peak at the end of July, Vale's value has plummeted by 32%, positioning it below MercadoLibre Inc., an e-commerce powerhouse. After an impressive performance in the fintech sector last quarter, MercadoLibre now holds a valuation of US$90 billion. This shift, where a rising star in the digital economy surpasses a raw materials producer with 79 years of history, seems to be solidifying. This is especially true as China's efforts to reduce pollution in its industrial sector have caused the price of iron ore to fall to less than US$100 per metric ton. Last week, UBS Group AG downgraded its recommendation for Vale from "buy" to "sell." Concurrently, Bradesco BBI opines that risks in the fluctuating commodities market are mostly downward. If the iron ore's average price is US$90 next year, Vale's earnings, excluding certain factors, could fall short of consensus estimates by 38%. Vale's predicament could have been direr if not for the substantial investor payouts, totaling US$13.8 billion, announced earlier this year.
