MercadoLibre to enable stock trading on Mercado Pago

MercadoLibre plans to expand its financial arm in Argentina. Founder Marcos Galperin announced that digital wallet Mercado Pago will allow users to buy and sell individual stocks in the coming months. Galperin revealed the plan during an interview conducted by former Argentine rugby captain Agustín Creevy.

Galperin did not disclose a specific launch date, eligible securities, minimum trading amounts, or account conditions. He noted that users can already buy mutual funds and track the Merval index, describing direct stock trading as the next stage in the platform's investment catalog.

The platform reported in June that more than 20 million people were earning returns through Mercado Pago. The company recently added two mutual funds denominated in Argentine pesos with entry thresholds of ARS 100 and 24-business-hour redemption settlement: a fixed-income product holding bank deposits, Treasury bills such as Lecaps, and sovereign bonds, alongside an equity fund tracking the ROFEX 20 index with exposure to firms including Grupo Financiero Galicia, Banco Macro, BBVA Argentina, YPF, Transportadora de Gas del Sur, Pampa Energía, and Central Puerto.

Both funds are run by Mercado Pago Asset Management and held in custody by Banco Industrial (BIND) under the supervision of the Comisión Nacional de Valores. Galperin also addressed his role after stepping down from executive leadership, noting he now serves as coach while CEO Ariel Szarfsztejn leads company operations.