Guoxin Securities·2026-01-14 09:20Market Review - In December, the A-share textile and apparel sector underperformed the broader market, with textile manufacturing outperforming branded apparel. Since January, the sector has shown stronger performance, with textile manufacturing up by 5.1% and branded apparel up by 4.5% [1][15] - Key companies that have led in stock price increases since January include Under Armour (12.5%), New Australia (11.9%), and Geely (11.0%) [1] Brand Apparel Insights - Retail sales of clothing in November grew by 3.5% year-on-year, but the growth rate slowed down, decreasing by 2.8 percentage points compared to the previous month [2] - E-commerce growth in December declined, indicating weak overall apparel consumption demand, primarily due to early release of consumer demand during the "Double 11" shopping festival, rising temperatures, and the delayed Spring Festival peak season [2] - Outdoor apparel categories showed strong growth, with sportswear and outdoor apparel growing by 6% and 10% respectively, while home textiles and personal care categories saw declines [2] - Notable brands with strong growth in the sportswear category include Lululemon (10%) and Descente (6%) [2] Textile Manufacturing Insights - In December, Vietnam's textile exports increased by 8.4% year-on-year, while footwear exports rose by 4.3%, marking a positive turnaround in growth rates [3] - The prices of cotton showed slight increases and decreases, with domestic cotton prices rising by 4.2% and international prices falling by 1.0% in December [3] - Wool prices continued to rise, with a month-on-month increase of 4.4% and a year-on-year increase of 39.9% [3] - Companies in Taiwan showed significant revenue differentiation in December, with overall strong performance driven by World Cup demand, leading to increased order visibility and production capacity expansion [3] Investment Recommendations - Focus on brands with favorable market conditions and recovering upstream orders. The report is optimistic about the recovery of high-end consumption and the growth of the light luxury sports and outdoor segments [5][8] - Recommended brands include Anta Sports, Li Ning, and Xtep International, which are expected to benefit from the ongoing trends in high-end and outdoor apparel [5][8] - In textile manufacturing, companies like Shenzhou International and Weixing Co. are highlighted for their potential benefits from tariff reductions and Nike's recovery [9]