Laura Anne Sorensen Sells 4,732 Shares of First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Stock

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) insider Laura Anne Sorensen sold 4,732 shares of First Watch Restaurant Group stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.59, for a total value of $59,575.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 239,050 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,009,639.50. This represents a 1.94% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Down 1.5%

Shares of NASDAQ FWRG opened at $11.53 on Friday. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 12-month low of $11.44 and a 12-month high of $20.55. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $15.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $16.34. The company has a quick ratio of 0.25, a current ratio of 0.29 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43. The company has a market cap of $704.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.92.

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, 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 firm had revenue of $316.35 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $317.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $0.01 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect 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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently weighed in on FWRG. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Stephens decreased their price objective on First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen lowered their target price on First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. DA Davidson initiated coverage on First Watch Restaurant Group in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They set a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Watch Restaurant Group has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of FWRG. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC boosted its position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 21.2% during the third quarter. Stephens Investment Management Group LLC now owns 932,064 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,577,000 after purchasing an additional 163,102 shares in the last quarter. Deepwater Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 14.8% in the 3rd quarter. Deepwater Asset Management LLC now owns 724,714 shares of the company’s stock valued at $11,335,000 after buying an additional 93,662 shares in the last quarter. Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd bought a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the 2nd quarter valued at $306,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 2nd quarter worth $18,350,000. Finally, Armistice Capital LLC acquired a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 2nd quarter worth $5,614,000. 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.