A portfolio of stocks I've been building since September 3, 2019, is named Volio. It will eventually hold 52 dividend dogs. Volio is the fifth portfolio I've built (at a one dividend dog per-week pace) since 2014. Five portfolios = V for Volio!

Today I'm reviewing the second of five communication services sector stocks striving to join my Volio folio. This could be my twenty-ninth pick for Volio!

That communication services sector includes seven industries all related to delivering messages to and from us. Those Communication services industries are: advertising agencies; broadcasting; electronic gaming and multimedia; entertainment; internet content and information; publishing; telecom services.

My subject today is a small-cap publishing company named, Meredith Corp Their trading ticker symbol is MDP. This is the second reports I've done about Meredith for this portfolio back on December 3, 2019.      

Meredith Corp is an American media company that focuses on publications and marketing services around the home, family, food, and lifestyle markets.

The company operates two divisions: national media and local media. The national media segment publishes magazines such as Every Day with Rachael Ray, Better Homes and Gardens, Family Fun, and Parents; this segment is the source of the majority of Meredith's revenue.

The local media segment owns over 15 television stations around the United States. In 2014, the company announced a 10-year licensing agreement with Martha Stewart Omnimedia to acquire the rights to Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, and marthastewart.com.

The company was founded in 1902 and is headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa.

I use three key data points to gauge dividend equities or funds like Meredith Corp:

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

Besides those three, several other keys will finally unlock an equity or fund in which to invest, or not.

Those three basic keys, however, best tell whether a company has made, is making, and will make money.

MDP Price

Meredith's price per share closed at $19.91 yesterday. A year ago their price was $57.28. Thus, in the past year, their market price dropped $37.37 or just over 65.2%.

Assuming Meredith's stock trades in the range of $15 to $35 this next year, its recent $19.91 price might rise by $5.09 to reach $25.00  by March 17, 2021, assuming upward price momentum continues.

MDP Dividends

Meredith's latest declared quarterly dividend was $0.595 paid March 13. That $0.595 Q dividend results in an annual payout of $2.38 per share to yield 11.95% at yesterday's $19.91 share price.

MDP Gains?

Adding the $2.38 annual estimated dividend to my $5.09 estimate of a Meredith Corp price upside shows a $7.47 potential gross gain, per share, which will be reduced by any costs to trade those shares.

Put a little under $1,000.00 today invested in Meredith at its recent $19.91 price, would buy 50 shares of MDP.

A $10 broker fee paid half at purchase and half at sale could cost us  $0.20 per share.

Subtract that $0.20 brokerage cost from my estimated $7.47 gross gain per share results in a net gain of $7.27 X 50 shares = $363.50 or a 36.35% net gain on a $995.50 investment.

Therefore, Meredith Corp, whose trading ticker symbol is MDP shows a possible 36.35% net gain including an 11.95% 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 learn if Meredith Corp is worth your time and money.