Mercado Libre Announces Closing of Inaugural Debt Offering

Rhea-AI Summary

MercadoLibre (Nasdaq: MELI) announced the closing of its public offering with $400 million in 2.375% notes due 2026 and $700 million in 3.125% notes due 2031. Proceeds from the 2026 Sustainability Notes aim to finance projects in financial inclusion, environmental sustainability, and social development. The 2031 Notes will be used to repurchase part of the company's outstanding convertible senior notes. This issuance reflects MercadoLibre's commitment to sustainable development and its growth strategy in Latin America.

Positive

• Raised $1.1 billion through bond offerings to support sustainability initiatives.
• Focus on financial inclusion for SMEs through increased credit.
• Commitment to environmental sustainability by reducing emissions and energy usage.

Negative

• None.

The issuance will support the Company’s initiatives with respect to financial inclusion, sustainable mobility, energy efficiency, social development and empowerment through education.

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina, Jan. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

MercadoLibre, Inc. (Nasdaq: MELI) (“MercadoLibre”) announced today that it had successfully closed its registered public offering of $400 million 2.375% notes due 2026 (“2026 Sustainability Notes”) and $700 million 3.125% notes due 2031 (the “2031 Notes”), which it had priced on January 7, 2021. MercadoLibre intends to use the proceeds of the 2026 Sustainability Notes to finance or refinance ongoing or new projects with social or environmental impacts. With this offering, MercadoLibre, the leading technology company in e-commerce and fintech in Latin America, intends to promote triple impact projects across the region, within the framework of its sustainability strategy. The proceeds from the 2031 Notes will be allocated to the repurchase of up to half the outstanding principal amount of MercadoLibre’s 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes Due 2028 at a substantial premium to their par value, as well as the premium for certain capped call transactions.

With the proceeds of the 2026 Sustainability Notes, MercadoLibre intends to increase its investment in three priority areas. The first is financial inclusion, by increasing credits for SMEs and entrepreneurs. The second is the reduction of its environmental footprint through a greater implementation of renewable energies, energy efficiency projects, the acquisition of sustainable packaging materials and the expansion of the scope of zero-emission mobility to promote the vehicular transformation of its logistics network. The third is social development and empowerment through education, to reduce the digital divide and promote the inclusion of young people in the job market.

“At MercadoLibre, we are propelled forward by the drive to transform. The pricing of our first sustainable bond is a new milestone in our 21-year history. In this sense, the growth of our platform increasingly demands that we contribute to the societies in which we operate, to be efficient in our energy consumption, to move towards increasingly cleaner transportation and to come up with innovating strategies to mitigate our social and environmental impacts throughout the entire value chain,” said Pedro Arnt, CFO of MercadoLibre.

Consistent with the Green Bond Principles, the Social Bond Principles and the Sustainability Bond Guidelines, each published by the International Capital Markets Association, eligible projects for use of proceeds of the 2026 Sustainable Notes are within the following nine areas:

• Access to finance.
• Clean Transportation.
• Socioeconomic advancement and empowerment through education.
• Land conservation and preservation.
• Renewable energy.
• Eco-efficient sustainable materials and circular economy processes.
• Green buildings.
• Energy efficiency and smart metering.
• Waste reduction strategies.
  

More information available in investor.mercadolibre.com

About MercadoLibre, Inc.

Founded in 1999, MercadoLibre is the largest online commerce ecosystem in Latin America, serving as an integrated regional platform and as a provider of the necessary online and technology-based tools that allow businesses and individuals to trade products and services in the region. The Company enables commerce through its marketplace platform (including online classifieds for motor vehicles, services and real estate), which allows users to buy and sell in most of Latin America.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements herein regarding MercadoLibre, Inc. that are not historical or current facts are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements convey MercadoLibre, Inc.’s current expectations or forecasts of future events. Forward-looking statements regarding MercadoLibre, Inc. involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause MercadoLibre, Inc.’s actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performances or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Certain of these risks and uncertainties are described in the “Risk Factors,” “Forward-Looking Statements” and “Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” sections of MercadoLibre, Inc.’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, as amended by our Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Form 10-K, filed with the SEC on December 23, 2020, and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020, June 30, 2020, and September 30, 2020, and any of MercadoLibre, Inc.’s other applicable filings with the SEC. Unless required by law, MercadoLibre, Inc. undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events after the date hereof.

CONTACT:
MercadoLibre, Inc.
Investor Relations
investor@mercadolibre.com
http://investor.mercadolibre.com

FAQ

What is MercadoLibre's recent bond offering?

MercadoLibre raised $400 million in 2.375% notes due 2026 and $700 million in 3.125% notes due 2031 to support various sustainability initiatives.

How will MercadoLibre use the proceeds from the 2026 Sustainability Notes?

The proceeds will finance projects focused on financial inclusion, reducing environmental impact, and social development through education.

What projects are funded by MercadoLibre's Sustainability Notes?

Eligible projects include those in financial access, clean transportation, education empowerment, renewable energy, and waste reduction strategies.

What are the terms of MercadoLibre's 2026 and 2031 notes?

The 2026 Sustainability Notes have an interest rate of 2.375%, while the 2031 Notes carry a 3.125% interest rate.