This week I'll be seeking the one and only dividend-paying stock from the utilities business sector for my Ivy portfolio. 

That utilities sector has five industries including diversified, independent, regulated electric, regulated gas, and regulated water. 

Today I'm reviewing a Mid-cap regulated gas company, named AmeriGas Partners LP. Its trading ticker symbol is APU.

AmeriGas Partners LP is a retail propane distributor in the United States and conducts its business through its subsidiary, AmeriGas Propane, L.P. The company also sells, installs, and services propane appliances, including heating systems.

It serves approximately 1.8 million residential, commercial, industrial, agricultural, wholesale, and motor fuel customers in 50 states through approximately 1,900 propane distribution locations. 

The company's propane is used for home heating, water heating, and cooking purposes; to fire furnaces, as a cutting gas, and in other process applications. It also sells, installs, and services propane appliances, such as heating systems; and offers residential heating, ventilation, air conditioning, plumbing, and related services. 

The company markets propane and other services primarily under the AmeriGas, America's Propane Company, Heritage Propane, Relationships Matter, Metro Lawn, and ServiceMark names. AmeriGas Propane, Inc. serves as the general partner of the company. 

AmeriGas Partners, L.P. was founded in 1994 and is based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity like AmeriGas Partners: 

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

Besides those three, four more keys will finally unlock an equity or fund in which to invest.

But those first three primary keys, best tell whether a company has made, is making, and will make money. 

APU Price

APU's price per share was $36.95 at Friday's market close. A year ago its price was $44.94 for a price drop of nearly $8 per share for the year, that's a 17.8% drop. 

Assuming APUs price will trade in the range of $30 to $50 next year, AmeriGas Partners's recent $36.95 price could improve by $4.00 and grow to $40.95 by mid-November, 2019. 

APU Dividends

AmeriGas Partners's most recent  quarterly dividend was $0.95 declared October 25th and payable November 19th. 

That $.95  quarterly stipend equates to an annual dividend of $3.80 yielding 10.28% at Friday's closing $36.95 price.

Gains For APU?

Adding the $3.80 estimated annual dividend to my estimated $4.00 annual price upside for AmeriGas Partners LP makes a $7.80 potential gross annual per share gain, which will be reduced by costs to trade the shares.  

 A little under $1,000.00 invested today at the $36.95 recent price buys 27 AmeriGas Partners LP shares. 

A $10 broker fee paid half at purchase and half at sale costs $0.37 per share

Subtracting that $0.37 brokerage cost from the estimated $7.80 gross annual gain leaves a net gain of $7.43 X 27 shares 

= $200.61

for a 20% net gain on a $997.65 investment.

Therefore, AmeriGas Partners LP  whose trading ticker symbol is APU, now shows a possible 20% net gain including a 10.28% dividend yield. 

Eight brokers cover this stock:

One broker says "buy" APU

Four say "hold" APU shares

Two think APU will "underperform" its peers

One says "sell" now.

Those eight Wall Street wizards collectively price APU shares at $42 next November. That's more than a buck over my  $40.95 estimate.

Therefore, you may look at these speculative numbers this way, AmeriGas Partners LP whose trading ticker symbol is APU, has made money, is making money, and could net a 10% to 20% net annual gain including a 10.28% dividend yield. 

It could be more, it could be less. 

The above speculation is based on past year performance. The actual results remain to be seen to determine if AmeriGas Partners LP is worth your time and money.