COLM vs GIL: Columbia Sportswear and Gildan Activewear compared
The short version
From the latest prices and each company's SEC filings. Who's ahead on each measure, not which to buy.
- Gildan Activewear is the larger company, worth $7.8B, about 2.7 times Columbia Sportswear.
- Gildan Activewear grew revenue faster over the last year (+10.7% vs +1.5%).
- Gildan Activewear keeps more of each dollar of revenue as operating profit (17.1% vs 7.5%).
- On earnings, Gildan Activewear is the cheaper stock (16.1x vs 18.1x).
- Gildan Activewear's price assumes faster free cash flow growth: about 2% a year, against -0% for Columbia Sportswear (reverse DCF).
Side by side
The stronger figure is shaded where higher (or, for valuation multiples, lower) reads as better. How the implied growth works.
| Measure | COLM | GIL |
|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $2.9B | $7.8B |
| Share price | $57.04 | $41.97 |
| Revenue (last fiscal year) | $3.4B | $3.6B |
| Free cash flow (last fiscal year) | $217M | $493M |
| Revenue growth, last year | +1.5% | +10.7% |
| Revenue growth per year, last 5 fiscal years | +2.1% | +5.5% |
| Operating margin | 7.5% | 17.1% |
| Net margin | 6.0% | 11.0% |
| Return on equity | 12.9% | 11.2% |
| P/E (trailing) | 18.1x | 16.1x |
| Price / free cash flow | 13.4x | 16.4x |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.39x | 19.6x |
| FCF growth the price implies | -0.27% | 2.0% |
| Dividend yield | 2.1% | 2.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.75x | 1.94x |
| Fundamental grade | C | C |
| Superinvestors holding it | 3 | 4 |
| Insider purchases, last 12 months | 1 | 0 |
Results from SEC filings
Revenue and free cash flow by fiscal year, from each company's 10-K filings.
Columbia Sportswear
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $3.1B | $320M | 14.4% |
| 2022 | $3.5B | -$84M | 11.3% |
| 2023 | $3.5B | $582M | 8.9% |
| 2024 | $3.4B | $431M | 8.0% |
| 2025 | $3.4B | $217M | 6.1% |
Gildan Activewear
| Year | Revenue | Free cash flow | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $2.9B | $487M | 22.3% |
| 2022 | $3.2B | $169M | 18.6% |
| 2023 | $3.2B | $339M | 20.1% |
| 2024 | $3.3B | $351M | 18.9% |
| 2025 | $3.6B | $493M | 17.1% |
Where the revenue comes from
Columbia Sportswear · by segments, 2023
United States$2.2B64%
LAAP$520M15%
EMEA$469M13%
Canada$257M7%
Gildan Activewear · by products, 2025
Activewear$3.1B85%
Hosiery And Underwear$531M15%
Compare them in fullFifteen years of statements, quarterly results, DCF and IRR models, and any number of peers side by side.
Open COLM in InvestinglyQuestions
Which is bigger, Columbia Sportswear or Gildan Activewear?
Gildan Activewear (GIL), at $7.8B against $2.9B.
Is COLM or GIL cheaper?
By trailing P/E, Gildan Activewear (16.1x) is cheaper than Columbia Sportswear (18.1x). A lower multiple can also mean the market expects less growth.
Which grows faster, COLM or GIL?
Gildan Activewear: revenue grew +10.7% over the last year, against +1.5%.
Prices and ratios as of the last daily update; statements from SEC filings. Information only, not investment advice.