Since a Surprise Leadership Change in 2024, This Growth Stock Is Down 37%. Investors Shouldn't Blame the CEO.

Good companies last a long time. But that doesn't mean they don't undergo change. This is particularly true when it comes to leadership teams. Executives come and go.

This is exactly what happened with an industry pioneer in the restaurant sector. It saw a surprise CEO change that was announced in August 2024. Since then, this growth stock has fallen 37% (as of April 22), after soaring 244% in the five years before this announcement.

It's easy to blame the new CEO for the poor performance of the shares. Investors should avoid being so critical, though.

Image source: The Motley Fool.

The macro backdrop hasn't provided the best environment to thrive

On Aug. 13, 2024, Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) shocked the market when it announced that CEO Brian Niccol would step down at the end of the month to take the top job at Starbucks. Niccol was praised for boosting the Tex-Mex chain's sales and profits after its health scare, while also leaning into digital capabilities.

Scott Boatwright, who was previously Chipotle's chief operating officer, succeeded Niccol. And the stock price has trended downward ever since, with a notable decline on the day of the announcement.

Chipotle's financial metrics certainly haven't fared well. After same-store sales (SSS) rose 5.4% in Q4 2024 (Boatwright's first full quarter as CEO), they decreased 1.7% in 2025. This is discouraging for investors.

However, he doesn't deserve blame for the company's falling SSS and declining share price. The macroeconomic environment has softened, which has negatively impacted the entire restaurant and retail sector, prompting Chipotle's foot traffic decline. It doesn't help that consumer confidence is at an all-time low.

What's more, Chipotle's valuation was extremely expensive before Niccol left. The day before the announced leadership change, the stock's price-to-earnings ratio was 54.8.

Operating without any hiccups is the goal

Of course, this doesn't necessarily mean that Boatwright's performance so far has been perfect. There was backlash when his comments on an earnings call suggested Chipotle would focus on its higher-income customer base.

If anything, this is a minor issue, in my view. And I believe that it didn't have a meaningful impact on the company's weak SSS data.

When Boatwright took over, Chipotle was doing very well. His main goal should simply be not to mess things up, which shouldn't be difficult.

This company requires operational excellence, the CEO's strong suit, to manage the supply chain all the way from sourcing ingredients to the restaurant and ordering experience. It doesn't need constant product innovation like technology enterprises do. And Chipotle doesn't have to implement stringent risk management practices that define financial services entities.

At the end of the day, though, the business can't outperform an unfavorable macro backdrop. But things will improve, as they always do. Therefore, I believe Chipotle presents an interesting buying opportunity for investors patient enough to ride out near-term uncertainty.

Neil Patel has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: short June 2026 $36 calls on Chipotle Mexican Grill. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.