Guggenheim Has Lowered Expectations for First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Stock Price

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) had its price objective reduced by research analysts at Guggenheim from $23.00 to $21.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Guggenheim’s price target would suggest a potential upside of 59.70% from the company’s current price.

Other equities research analysts also recently issued reports about the company. Wall Street Zen raised First Watch Restaurant Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 8th. Stephens lowered their price target on First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 10th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $19.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, First Watch Restaurant Group presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $20.08.

First Watch Restaurant Group Price Performance

Shares of FWRG opened at $13.15 on Wednesday. First Watch Restaurant Group has a fifty-two week low of $12.16 and a fifty-two week high of $21.99. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $15.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.76. The stock has a market cap of $803.99 million, a PE ratio of 42.42, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a current ratio of 0.29.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) last released its 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. The firm had revenue of $316.35 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $317.49 million. First Watch Restaurant Group had a net margin of 1.59% and a return on equity of 3.20%. The business’s revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.01 earnings per share. Analysts anticipate that First Watch Restaurant Group will post 0.32 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other First Watch Restaurant Group news, Director William A. Kussell sold 6,165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total transaction of $104,805.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 26,402 shares in the company, valued at approximately $448,834. This represents a 18.93% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 6.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. grew its position in First Watch Restaurant Group by 207.6% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,950 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after buying an additional 1,316 shares during the period. State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in First Watch Restaurant Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $66,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets boosted its stake in shares of 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 acquiring an additional 1,673 shares during the last quarter. 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: Q4 results showed an earnings beat and healthy top-line growth: management reported EPS above consensus and revenue roughly in line while revenue grew ~20% year-over-year, signaling underlying demand and improving profitability versus the prior-year quarter. Article Link
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate investor outreach: First Watch will participate in three investor conferences in March, increasing management access to investors and providing visible near-term catalysts (presentations/Q&A) that can help rejustify valuation if management delivers on guidance. Article Link
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to rate the stock positively: several firms (Citigroup, Guggenheim, Stephens, Barclays) maintained Buy/Overweight stances even after updating models — this supports a constructive narrative but leaves upside tied to execution against guidance. Benzinga Summary
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple price-target cuts: Citi cut its PT to $21, Barclays to $17, Guggenheim to $21 and Stephens to $21. Those reductions trim the implied upside and reflect more cautious near-term expectations. Price Target Coverage
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and valuation concerns: a recent critique flagged that FY2026 guidance implies slower same-store sales (1–3%) and no margin leverage, while the stock still trades at a stretched P/E — raising the risk that upside is limited absent acceleration or margin improvement. Seeking Alpha Analysis

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.