0324 GMT - Mercari management appears increasingly focused on creating non-linear growth opportunities through the use of artificial intelligence, Jefferies analyst Hiroko Sato says in a note. While near-term AI monetization remains difficult to quantify, management believes AI could let smaller teams build and scale new products more rapidly, she says. Though still in the experimentation phase, Mercari is pursuing AI-driven product development, organizational efficiency and greater sharing of engineering resources across Japan and the U.S., the analyst says. Jefferies has a buy rating and a target price of 5,800 yen. Shares are 4.4% lower at Y4,150.