Ghisallo Capital Management LLC Purchases Shares of 160,893 First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. $FWRG

Ghisallo Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund acquired 160,893 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,516,000.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake 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 worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 1,673 shares during the period. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its position in First Watch Restaurant Group by 435.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 7,277 shares of the company’s stock valued at $117,000 after purchasing an additional 5,918 shares during the last quarter. Comerica Bank lifted its position in First Watch Restaurant Group by 30.2% in the third quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 8,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $134,000 after purchasing an additional 1,991 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey boosted its stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 17.3% during the second quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey now owns 9,108 shares of the company’s stock valued at $146,000 after purchasing an additional 1,341 shares during the period. 96.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Watch Restaurant Group Trading Down 1.5%

NASDAQ:FWRG opened at $11.53 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $15.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.34. The stock has a market cap of $704.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.19, a P/E/G ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $11.44 and a 12 month 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 (EPS) for the quarter, beating 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 company had revenue of $316.35 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $317.49 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.01 earnings per share. First Watch Restaurant Group’s quarterly revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities analysts predict that First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. will post 0.32 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several brokerages recently commented on FWRG. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Guggenheim cut their price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $23.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, February 25th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. Stephens lowered their price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. Finally, DA Davidson initiated coverage on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Friday, March 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, First Watch Restaurant Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $19.75.

Key Headlines Impacting First Watch Restaurant Group

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

Insider Buying and Selling at First Watch Restaurant Group

In other news, 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 value of $76,421.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 69,983 shares in the company, valued at $881,085.97. This trade represents a 7.98% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider John Daniel Jones sold 4,600 shares of First Watch Restaurant Group stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total value of $57,914.00. Following the sale, the insider owned 86,422 shares in the company, valued at $1,088,052.98. This represents a 5.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 35,923 shares of company stock worth $479,458. Insiders own 6.00% 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.