H Melville Hope III Sells 7,358 Shares of First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Stock

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) CFO H Melville Hope III sold 7,358 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 transaction of $92,637.22. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 115,665 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,456,222.35. This represents a 5.98% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Performance

NASDAQ:FWRG opened at $11.53 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $15.19 and its 200 day moving average is $16.34. The firm has a market cap of $704.94 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 37.19, a PEG ratio of 2.35 and a beta of 0.92. 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, Inc. has a 52-week low of $11.44 and a 52-week high of $20.55.

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Watch Restaurant Group

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Invesco Ltd. lifted its stake in First Watch Restaurant Group by 31.7% in the fourth quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 89,637 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,352,000 after purchasing an additional 21,576 shares during the last quarter. XTX Topco Ltd bought a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $1,156,000. VARCOV Co. purchased a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the fourth quarter worth about $1,128,000. Twinbeech Capital LP purchased a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the fourth quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, Oxford Asset Management LLP bought a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the 4th quarter valued at about $249,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.11% of the company’s stock.

Key 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

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Stephens decreased 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 report on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen cut their price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $23.00 to $21.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. DA Davidson started coverage on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, February 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, First Watch Restaurant Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price 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.