Shares of retail chain Boot Barn (BOOT 3.85%) got smashed on Tuesday after the company reported financial results for its fiscal second quarter of 2025. Granted, the pullback comes after it recently hit record highs. But a surprise change of CEO has investors worried and led to Boot Barn stock being down 20% as of 10:20 a.m. ET.
Great financial results overshadowed by surprising CEO departure
To be clear, Boot Barn's Q2 financial results smashed expectations. Management had said that same-store sales would essentially be flat, leading to year-over-year net sales growth of 8% to 10%. But in reality, Q2 net sales of $426 million were up nearly 14%, boosted by same-store sales growth of nearly 5%.
In part thanks to strong results in Q2, Boot Barn's management increased its full-year financial guidance. And normally a classic "beat and raise" would send shares soaring. But the company dropped surprising news on investors and it's not sitting well.
Boot Barn CEO Jim Conroy is leaving the company after holding the CEO position for the last 12 years. And he's not just riding off into the sunset. To the contrary, he's accepting the CEO position at Ross Stores.
Are investors overreacting?
Boot Barn's market capitalization is $4 billion, whereas Ross Stores' market cap is nearly $50 billion. In short, Ross Stores is a much larger company and it's hard to blame Conroy for jumping at this opportunity to advance his career. And I think that's an important point: This could be just a career move, nothing more. Therefore, I wouldn't assume that Conroy is leaving because Boot Barn's best days are behind it.
Boot Barn Chief Digital Officer John Hazen is taking over on an interim basis. Considering he's been with the company since 2018, this does provide the company with good continuity.
Investors need to remember that while there is some uncertainty here, the reality is that Boot Barn continues to perform above expectations. For those who have been waiting for a pullback, this might be a good opportunity to buy some shares considering the Q2 financial results were quite encouraging.
