First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Insider John Daniel Jones Sells 4,600 Shares of Stock

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) insider John Daniel Jones sold 4,600 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total value of $57,914.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 86,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,088,052.98. The trade was a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link.

First Watch Restaurant Group Trading Down 1.8%

NASDAQ FWRG traded down $0.22 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $11.49. The company had a trading volume of 630,591 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,788,867. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The stock has a market capitalization of $702.19 million, a P/E ratio of 37.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.92. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $15.27 and a 200 day moving average of $16.39. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $11.44 and a 1-year high of $20.55.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $316.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $317.49 million. First Watch Restaurant Group had a net margin of 1.59% and a return on equity of 3.20%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.01 earnings per share. As a group, research analysts anticipate that First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Key Stories Impacting First Watch Restaurant Group

Here are the key news stories impacting First Watch Restaurant Group this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Quarterly result: First Watch reported an EPS beat for the most recent quarter ($0.24 vs. $0.08 consensus) and year-over-year revenue growth (~20%), which supports near-term fundamentals and consensus analyst upside. Earnings & company page
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage: Multiple brokerages maintain Buy/Overweight views and the consensus target remains well above current levels (~$19.75), giving potential upside if execution continues. Analyst note
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is very high (~96%), which can damp volatility but also means flows from a few large holders matter more than retail trading. Institutional holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation & liquidity: FWRG trades below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and near its 12‑month low; balance-sheet ratios (low current/quick ratios) and a mid‑teens P/E multiple on expected near-term earnings may limit upside until trends improve. Financial snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: CFO sale: CFO H. Melville Hope III sold 7,358 shares at $12.59 on March 10, a ~5.98% reduction in his stake — a high-profile sale that typically attracts investor scrutiny. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider trims: Other executives (Jay Wolszczak, Matthew Eisenacher, John D. Jones, Laura Sorensen) sold between ~4,600–6,998 shares each at $12.59 on March 10, collectively representing notable position reductions that can pressure sentiment. Sample Form 4

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Citigroup decreased their price target on First Watch Restaurant Group from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research raised First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $19.00 target price on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Stephens dropped their target price on First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Watch Restaurant Group

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the third quarter valued at $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in First Watch Restaurant Group by 207.6% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares during the period. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 4th quarter worth $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 4th quarter worth about $66,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in First Watch Restaurant Group by 61.9% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,375 shares of the company’s stock valued at $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,673 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.11% of the company’s stock.

About First Watch Restaurant Group

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc (NASDAQ: FWRG) operates a specialty daytime dining concept focused on breakfast, brunch and lunch. The company’s casual, full-service cafés emphasize fresh ingredients, made-to-order entrées and a seasonally driven menu that ranges from omelets and Benedicts to salads, skillets and afternoon sandwiches. First Watch positions itself as a daytime-only destination, with most locations opening early morning and closing by mid-afternoon.

Founded in 1983 by Ken Pendery and John Sullivan in Pacific Grove, California, First Watch began as a single café and gradually expanded through company-owned and select franchised locations.