(Bloomberg) -- MercadoLibre Inc., Latin America’s most valuable company, was upgraded to investment grade for the first time, a boost for the e-commerce company as it moves to gain market share across the region.
Fitch Ratings raised the company’s bonds to BBB-, the lowest investment-grade score, from BB+, according to a statement on Thursday. The outlook is stable.
The ratings company cited “robust financial flexibility, conservative capital structure and positive long-term demand fundamentals for e-commerce, digital payments, credit and advertising in Latin America,” according to a statement Thursday.
US-listed shares in the company rose after the upgrade to trade about 1% higher for the day, while notes maturing in 2031 erased losses to trade little changed. A rally of about 30% this year pushed its market capitalization above $100 billion, surpassing Petroleo Brasileiro SA as the most valuable company in the region.
MercadoLibre is one notch below investment grade with both Moody’s Ratings and S&P Global Ratings, meaning an upgrade by one of them would trigger inflows from investment grade-dedicated funds.
S&P raised MercadoLibre’s credit outlook to positive from stable in June, citing an improvement in credit metrics and business growth. Moody’s has a stable outlook.
The Montevideo-based company is expected to report third-quarter results on Wednesday, with analysts expecting its net revenue to surge to $5.3 billion, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
The company has about $1 billion in dollar bonds, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.
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