First Trust Advisors LP Grows Stake in First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. $FWRG

First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:FWRG - Free Report) by 61.2% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 346,201 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 131,385 shares during the period. First Trust Advisors LP owned about 0.56% of First Watch Restaurant Group worth $3,628,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of FWRG. Royal Bank of Canada boosted its stake in First Watch Restaurant Group by 67.3% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 54,267 shares of the company's stock worth $903,000 after purchasing an additional 21,830 shares during the last quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. raised its position in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 31.8% in the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 22,766 shares of the company's stock valued at $379,000 after buying an additional 5,497 shares during the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc lifted its stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 1.6% in the second quarter. Legal & General Group Plc now owns 45,531 shares of the company's stock worth $730,000 after buying an additional 724 shares in the last quarter. Rhumbline Advisers lifted its stake in shares of First Watch Restaurant Group by 45.8% in the second quarter. Rhumbline Advisers now owns 73,882 shares of the company's stock worth $1,185,000 after buying an additional 23,205 shares in the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. boosted its position in First Watch Restaurant Group by 43.4% during the second quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 72,166 shares of the company's stock worth $1,158,000 after acquiring an additional 21,846 shares during the last quarter. 96.11% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Watch Restaurant Group Trading Up 0.9%

NASDAQ FWRG opened at $12.92 on Thursday. First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $9.97 and a 52 week high of $19.53. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $12.08 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.80. 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 stock has a market capitalization of $796.33 million, a PE ratio of 44.54, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 7.58 and a beta of 1.03.

First Watch Restaurant Group (NASDAQ:FWRG - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, August 4th. The company reported $0.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.05 by ($0.01). First Watch Restaurant Group had a net margin of 1.35% and a return on equity of 2.87%. The business had revenue of $354.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $351.57 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $0.03 EPS. The company's revenue was up 15.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts expect that First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc. will post 0.2 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Watch Restaurant Group News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter revenue rose 15.2% year over year to $354.7 million, exceeding analysts’ $351.6 million estimate. Same-restaurant sales increased 3.4%, while 18 system-wide restaurants opened across 15 states. First Watch Q2 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: Management outlined a plan to open approximately 50 company-operated restaurants annually beginning in 2027, signaling confidence in the brand’s long-term unit-growth opportunity. The company also reported $34.5 million of adjusted EBITDA for the quarter. First Watch 2027 Expansion Plan
• Neutral Sentiment: First Watch guided to fiscal 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $133 million to $136 million and revenue of approximately $1.4 billion, broadly in line with consensus expectations. First Watch 2026 Guidance
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly EPS was $0.04, below estimates ranging from $0.05 to $0.06, although it improved from $0.03 a year earlier. Net income was only $2.3 million, highlighting continued pressure from the company’s low profit margin. First Watch Q2 Earnings Miss

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on FWRG shares. Stifel Nicolaus set a $14.00 target price on First Watch Restaurant Group in a report on Tuesday, May 5th. Citigroup cut their price target on First Watch Restaurant Group from $21.00 to $20.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. DA Davidson reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $17.00 price objective on shares of First Watch Restaurant Group in a research report on Tuesday, April 28th. Weiss Ratings raised First Watch Restaurant Group from a "sell (d)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research note on Tuesday. Finally, Wall Street Zen cut First Watch Restaurant Group from a "sell" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Saturday, July 18th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, one has issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, First Watch Restaurant Group presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $18.67.

First Watch Restaurant Group 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.

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