First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) CEO Sells $313,776.24 in Stock

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG) CEO Christopher Anthony Tomasso sold 25,062 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.52, for a total value of $313,776.24. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 957,315 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $11,985,583.80. This represents a 2.55% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of NASDAQ:FWRG opened at $12.20 on Friday. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 12 month low of $11.44 and a 12 month high of $20.55. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $14.86 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $16.09. 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 firm has a market cap of $745.60 million, a P/E ratio of 39.34, a P/E/G ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.92.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $317.49 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.01 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More First Watch Restaurant Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company beat on earnings in its Feb. 24 quarterly report (EPS $0.24 vs. $0.08 expected) and revenue rose ~20% year-over-year — the operational recovery and beat support upside potential. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street coverage is largely constructive: multiple Buy/Overweight ratings and a consensus price target (~$19.75) signal analyst confidence above current levels, which can limit downside.
• Positive Sentiment: Several hedge funds and institutional investors have increased positions in prior quarters (e.g., Stephens Investment Management, Deepwater Asset Management), indicating continued institutional interest. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Business profile: daytime-focused casual-dining concept with expanding footprint — attractive growth story but sensitive to consumer spending and labor/commodity costs. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Balance-sheet/liquidity signals are mixed (low current/quick ratios vs. modest debt-to-equity); these fundamentals could matter if macro conditions deteriorate. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CEO Christopher Tomasso sold 25,062 shares (~$313,776 at ~$12.52), reducing his stake ~2.55% — largest and most market-visible insider sale this round. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: CFO H. Melville Hope III sold 3,878 shares (~$48,553), a ~3.35% reduction. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Other insiders (Jay Wolszczak, Matthew Eisenacher, Laura Sorensen, John D. Jones) executed modest sales on the same date (each thousands of shares), signaling coordinated/portfolio-driven selling that can pressure near-term sentiment. Read More. Read More. Read More. Read More.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently commented on FWRG shares. DA Davidson started coverage on First Watch Restaurant Group in a research note on Friday, March 6th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $17.00 target price for the company. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen lowered their price objective on 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 reissued an “overweight” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Barclays cut 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 report on Wednesday, February 25th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $19.75.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On First Watch Restaurant Group

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Rockefeller Capital Management L.P. acquired a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $63,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $66,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in First Watch Restaurant Group by 61.9% during 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 in the last quarter. 96.11% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.