John Daniel Jones Sells 4,600 Shares of First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG) Stock

March 13, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

Insider selling: Matthew Eisenacher sold 6,070 shares at $12.59 (~$76,421), cutting his stake by 7.98%, and several other executives—including the CFO—also sold sizeable positions, indicating concentrated insider selling activity.
Mixed performance vs. market reaction: First Watch beat EPS estimates ($0.24 vs. $0.08) with revenue up 20.2% YoY, but the stock is trading near its 12‑month low ($11.50), below its 50- and 200-day averages, while analysts maintain a consensus "Moderate Buy" target of $19.75.

First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG - Get Free Report) insider John Daniel Jones sold 4,600 shares of the firm's 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 $57,914.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 86,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,088,052.98. This trade represents a 5.05% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

First Watch Restaurant Group Stock Down 1.8%

First Watch Restaurant Group: A First-Rate Small-Cap Growth Stock

NASDAQ FWRG traded down $0.22 on Friday, hitting $11.49. 630,591 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,788,867. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $11.44 and a fifty-two week high of $20.55. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $15.27 and a 200-day moving average price of $16.39. 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 $702.19 million, a PE ratio of 37.16, a PEG ratio of 2.50 and a beta of 0.92.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 24th. The company reported $0.24 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.08 by $0.16. The business had revenue of $316.35 million for 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 company's revenue was up 20.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.01 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. will post 0.32 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in FWRG. Jones Financial Companies Lllp acquired a new position in First Watch Restaurant Group during the third quarter worth approximately $30,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 207.6% in the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 1,950 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after acquiring an additional 1,316 shares during the period. State of Wyoming purchased a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $64,000. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. acquired a new position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in the 4th quarter valued at $66,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 61.9% in the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 4,375 shares of the company's stock valued at $70,000 after acquiring an additional 1,673 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.11% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on FWRG shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $19.00 price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Stephens dropped their price target on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group from $24.00 to $21.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 25th. TD Cowen reduced their price objective on shares of 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. Finally, 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 target price for the company. One investment 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 company. Based on data from MarketBeat, First Watch Restaurant Group presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $19.75.

Read Our Latest Analysis on FWRG

First Watch Restaurant Group News Roundup

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

Positive Sentiment: Quarterly result: First Watch reported an EPS beat for the most recent quarter ($0.24 vs. $0.08 consensus) and year-over-year revenue growth (~20%), which supports near-term fundamentals and consensus analyst upside. Earnings & company page
Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage: Multiple brokerages maintain Buy/Overweight views and the consensus target remains well above current levels (~$19.75), giving potential upside if execution continues. Analyst note
Neutral Sentiment: Institutional ownership is very high (~96%), which can damp volatility but also means flows from a few large holders matter more than retail trading. Institutional holdings
Neutral Sentiment: Valuation & liquidity: FWRG trades below its 50- and 200-day moving averages and near its 12‑month low; balance-sheet ratios (low current/quick ratios) and a mid‑teens P/E multiple on expected near-term earnings may limit upside until trends improve. Financial snapshot
Negative Sentiment: CFO sale: CFO H. Melville Hope III sold 7,358 shares at $12.59 on March 10, a ~5.98% reduction in his stake — a high-profile sale that typically attracts investor scrutiny. CFO Form 4
Negative Sentiment: Multiple insider trims: Other executives (Jay Wolszczak, Matthew Eisenacher, John D. Jones, Laura Sorensen) sold between ~4,600–6,998 shares each at $12.59 on March 10, collectively representing notable position reductions that can pressure sentiment. Sample Form 4

First Watch Restaurant Group Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

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.