First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Reaches New 12-Month Low Following Insider Selling

Shares of First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) reached a new 52-week low during mid-day trading on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $11.56 and last traded at $11.6450, with a volume of 676845 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.44.

Specifically, insider Laura Anne Sorensen sold 4,732 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total transaction of $59,575.88. Following the transaction, the insider owned 239,050 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,009,639.50. This represents a 1.94% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Matthew Eisenacher sold 6,070 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total transaction of $76,421.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 69,983 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $881,085.97. This trade represents a 7.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In related news, insider John Daniel Jones sold 4,600 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total transaction of $57,914.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 86,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,088,052.98. The trade was a 5.05% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

FWRG has been the subject of several analyst reports. Zacks Research upgraded First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen cut their price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed 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 lowered their target price on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $19.75.

More First Watch Restaurant Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Recent quarterly results showed an EPS beat (reported $0.24 vs. $0.08 consensus) and ~20% year-over-year revenue growth, which supports the company’s near-term fundamentals. Earnings & company page
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage remains largely constructive — multiple Buy/Overweight ratings and an average target (~$19.75) sit well above the current price, indicating upside if execution continues. Analyst note
• Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is very high (~96%), which can reduce retail-driven volatility but means flows from large holders will disproportionately move the stock. Institutional holdings
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and liquidity: FWRG sits below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and near its 52-week low; balance-sheet ratios (low current/quick ratios) and modest near-term margins mean upside may require sustained margin improvement. Financial snapshot
• Negative Sentiment: CFO insider sale: CFO H. Melville Hope III sold 7,358 shares at $12.59 on March 10 (≈6% reduction in his stake). High‑profile officer selling often raises short-term investor concern. CFO Form 4
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple other insider trims: Several executives (Jay Wolszczak, Matthew Eisenacher, John D. Jones, Laura Sorensen) sold between ~4,600–7,000 shares each at $12.59 on March 10, collectively reducing positions and pressuring market sentiment. Sample Form 4

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Performance

The firm has a market cap of $704.94 million, a PE ratio of 37.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $15.19 and a 200-day simple moving average of $16.34. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 0.29 and a quick ratio of 0.25.

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

Institutional Trading of First Watch Restaurant Group

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of FWRG. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $30,000. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group during the fourth quarter valued at $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its position in shares of 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 worth $70,000 after buying an additional 1,673 shares during the period. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 17,042.4% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 5,657 shares of the company’s stock valued at $85,000 after purchasing an additional 5,624 shares in the last quarter. 96.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.