GIL vs LEVI: Which Is the Better Buy in 2026?

Last updated September 2026

Short answer

GIL and LEVI are similarly sized, but GIL trades noticeably cheaper on forward earnings (9.09x vs 11.91x): the market is paying up for LEVI's profile and pricing GIL more conservatively, or for faster growth. Which you prefer comes down to the drivers you believe, and whether adding either over-concentrates what you already own.

GIL vs LEVI: the tie-breaker metrics

Same yardstick, side by side (as of September 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.

Metric	GIL	LEVI	What it tells you
Market cap	$9.31B	$7.84B	Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove.
Forward P/E	9.09	11.91	Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up.
Trailing P/E	38.97	14.54	Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price.
Beta	1.11	1.33	Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through.
Price vs 52-week range	14% of range	33% of range	Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why.
Price / book	2.79	3.45	How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price.

Reading it: GIL is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.

Before you buy: how GIL and LEVI affect your concentration

The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. GIL and LEVI share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.

This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined GIL and LEVI exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.

What does Gildan Activewear (GIL) do?

Gildan Activewear is one of the largest vertically integrated manufacturers of everyday apparel basics, historically dominating the North American blank T-shirt and fleece market sold through the imprintables (screen-print and promotional) channel under brands like Gildan, American Apparel, and Comfort Colors. Its edge is manufacturing scale and cost: it runs its own yarn-spinning, textile, and sewing operations across Central America, the Caribbean, Bangladesh, and other low-cost regions, which lets it produce blanks and basics cheaper than most branded peers. In December 2025 it completed the roughly $2.2 billion acquisition of HanesBrands (assuming about $2 billion of Hanes debt), adding the Hanes, Maidenform, and Bonds innerwear brands and a large retail-facing business.

Full GIL guide

What does Levi Strauss & Co (LEVI) do?

Levi Strauss & Co. designs and sells jeans, casualwear and related apparel under the Levi's, Dockers, Beyond Yoga and Denizen brands across roughly 110 countries. It sells through three channels: its own retail stores and e-commerce (direct-to-consumer), traditional wholesale partners, and licensing. The company has been deliberately shifting its mix toward direct-to-consumer, which carries higher gross margins, and toward women's and non-denim categories, with women's apparel now around 35% of the business and Beyond Yoga expanding its premium activewear reach.

Full LEVI guide

GIL vs LEVI: how do they differ?

Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.

GIL drivers: HanesBrands integration and synergies; Low-cost vertical integration.
LEVI drivers: Direct-to-consumer margin mix shift; Brand strength and denim leadership.

Which fits which kind of investor

A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant near-term risk is integration: absorbing a company of HanesBrands' size can bring dis-synergies, brand erosion, or slower-than-planned cost savings. For LEVI, apparel is cyclical and discretionary, so a weaker consumer or slower back-to-school and holiday seasons can pressure sales quickly.

GIL or LEVI: which should you pick?

Pick GIL if you believe its drivers more; LEVI if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the GIL and LEVI guides.

GIL vs LEVI: the full fundamentals

GIL. As of July 2026, Gildan trades at roughly a high-teens trailing and mid-teens forward earnings multiple, broadly in line with apparel-manufacturing peers. Trailing revenue near $4.1 billion understates the pro-forma business because it captures only part of the HanesBrands contribution; full-year 2026 guidance of about $6.0 to $6.2 billion reflects the combined scale. The main valuation swing factors are synergy delivery and the pace of deleveraging from roughly $4.4 billion of net debt.

LEVI. Figures are approximate as of early July 2026 and move with the market. Levi's reported Q1 FY2026 net revenues of about $1.7 billion, up 14% reported, and guided full-year FY2026 reported revenue growth of roughly 5% to 6% with adjusted EBIT margin expanding toward 11.8% to 12%. Q2 FY2026 results are due July 8, 2026, so figures here predate that report.

Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): GIL shows revenue (ttm) ~$4.1B (pre-full-Hanes; FY2026 guided ~$6.0-6.2B), q1 2026 revenue ~$1.17B (up ~64% YoY), net income (ttm) ~$0.4B, market cap ~$9-11B; LEVI shows market cap ~$9.4B, share price ~$25, revenue (ttm) ~$6.3B, net income (ttm) ~$580M.

The bottom line: GIL vs LEVI

GIL and LEVI are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined GIL and LEVI exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.

Wondering how GIL or LEVI fits the portfolio you already own? Walnut is an AI investing app that connects your brokerage read-only and answers questions like that about your actual holdings: overlap, concentration, and how each position tracks the S&P 500. Compare the best AI portfolio analyzers or see the best AI investing apps in 2026.

Investing in Gildan Activewear with AI

Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how GIL fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.

Does GIL fit me?

FAQ

What is the difference between GIL and LEVI?

Is GIL or LEVI the better stock?

Neither is universally better; they suit different views and risk levels. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.

Which is cheaper, GIL or LEVI?

On forward P/E (as of September 2026), GIL trades at 9.09x and LEVI at 11.91x, so GIL is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.

Should you own both GIL and LEVI?

Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.

What are the risks of GIL vs LEVI?

GIL: The dominant near-term risk is integration: absorbing a company of HanesBrands' size can bring dis-synergies, brand erosion, or slower-than-planned cost savings. Net debt of roughly $4.4 billion after the deal raises financial risk and interest expense, and reported results have shown acquisition-related charges. Gildan is also exposed to cotton, energy, and freight cost volatility, plus demand that is cyclical and tied to consumer spending and promotional-product activity. Tariff and trade policy shifts affecting its Central American and Asian supply chain are an added variable, and concentration in commoditized basics limits pricing power. LEVI: Apparel is cyclical and discretionary, so a weaker consumer or slower back-to-school and holiday seasons can pressure sales quickly. The DTC pivot raises operating costs and store-level fixed expenses, which can compress margins if traffic disappoints. Tariffs and global sourcing costs are a meaningful swing factor for a company that manufactures largely overseas. Competition is intense on every flank, from Kontoor in core denim to Lululemon and Alo in athleisure to Zara and H&M on price. Finally, the stock's valuation already embeds a successful transition, so execution stumbles could weigh on the shares.

Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell GIL or LEVI; figures are approximate and dated (as of September 2026). Verify current data before investing.