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

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) had its price objective lowered by stock analysts at Barclays from $19.00 to $17.00 in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s price objective points to a potential upside of 29.28% from the company’s current price.

FWRG has been the subject of several other research reports. Zacks Research raised First Watch Restaurant Group from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, February 10th. Wall Street Zen raised First Watch Restaurant Group from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, November 8th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $19.00 price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research note on Tuesday. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $18.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday. 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 issued a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $20.08.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Up 5.0%

FWRG opened at $13.15 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $15.90 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $16.76. The company has a market capitalization of $803.99 million, a PE ratio of 42.42, a PEG ratio of 2.42 and a beta of 0.88. First Watch Restaurant Group has a 1-year low of $12.16 and a 1-year high of $21.99. The company has a current ratio of 0.29, a quick ratio of 0.21 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.16. The firm had revenue of $316.35 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $317.49 million. First Watch Restaurant Group had a net margin of 1.59% and a return on equity of 3.20%. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 20.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.01 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that First Watch Restaurant Group will post 0.32 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at First Watch Restaurant Group

In other First Watch Restaurant Group news, Director William A. Kussell sold 6,165 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.00, for a total transaction of $104,805.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 26,402 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $448,834. This trade represents a 18.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. 6.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Watch Restaurant Group

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of FWRG. Jones Financial Companies Lllp purchased a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group during the third quarter valued at $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. lifted its stake in First Watch Restaurant Group by 207.6% in the 2nd quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,950 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 1,316 shares in the last quarter. State of Wyoming bought a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the 4th quarter valued at about $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. purchased a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the fourth quarter valued at about $66,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 61.9% in the second 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 during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.11% of the company’s stock.

More 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.