First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Insider Sells $59,575.88 in Stock

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) insider Laura Anne Sorensen sold 4,732 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total value of $59,575.88. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 239,050 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,009,639.50. This trade represents a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ FWRG opened at $11.53 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $704.94 million, a P/E ratio of 37.19, a PEG ratio of 2.32 and a beta of 0.92. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $15.19 and its 200 day moving average is $16.32. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $11.44 and a 52 week high of $20.55. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.25 and a current ratio of 0.29.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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%. First Watch Restaurant Group’s revenue was up 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.01 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast 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: 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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC grew its holdings in First Watch Restaurant Group by 21.2% during the 3rd quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 932,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,577,000 after acquiring an additional 163,102 shares during the last quarter. Deepwater Asset Management LLC raised its stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 14.8% during the third quarter. Deepwater Asset Management LLC now owns 724,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,335,000 after acquiring an additional 93,662 shares during the last quarter. Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd bought a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the second quarter valued at $306,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the second quarter worth $18,350,000. Finally, Armistice Capital LLC bought a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the second quarter worth $5,614,000. Institutional investors own 96.11% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

FWRG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Zacks Research raised shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. DA Davidson assumed coverage on First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price on the stock. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup dropped their price objective on First Watch Restaurant Group from $26.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

First Watch Restaurant Group Company Profile

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.