Today I'm reviewing a mid-cap paper company.

Its name is Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. Its trading ticker symbol is SWM. 

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. is a diversified producer of premium specialty papers and resin-based products. It manufactures and sells paper and reconstituted tobacco products to the tobacco industry as well as specialized paper products.

The company operates through two segments, Engineered Papers and Advanced Materials & Structures. 

The Engineered Papers segment produces and sells those wrapper and binder products to cigarette and cigar manufacturers; and other non-tobacco paper products. It also offers lightweight papers for printing and writing, flooring laminates, and food service packaging. 

The Advanced Materials & Structures segment manufactures non-woven filtration, infrastructure and construction, transportation, medical, and industrial supplies. 

Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. was founded in 1995 and is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity or fund like Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (SWM): 

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

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

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

SWM Price

Schweitzer's price per share was $42.87 at Friday's market close. A year ago its price was $38.56 for a gain of $4.31 per share.  

Assuming Schweitzer's price will trade in the range of $37 to $49 again next year, its price could grow by that same $4.31 again from its current $42.87 to $47.18 by late July, 2019. 

SWM Dividends

Schweitzer's most recent quarterly dividend was $0.43 paid June 22nd. 

Based on this latest quarterly amount, the annual take of $1.72 yields 4% at Friday's $42.87 share price. 

Gains For SWM?

Adding the $1.72 annual dividend to the $4.31 potential year over year price gain makes a $6.03 projected 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 $42.87 recent price buys 23 shares. 

A $10 broker fee paid half at purchase and half at sale costs about $0.43 per share, subtracting that $0.43 brokerage cost from the estimated $6.03 gross gain leaves a net gain of $5.60 X 23 shares = $128.80 or a 12.8% net gain on a $986.01 investment.

Therefore,Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (whose ticker symbol is SWM), now shows a possible 12.8% net gain including a 4% dividend yield. 

Two analysts cover this stock:

Both say "buy" SWM.

Their two analyst consensus recommendation adds up to1.0 or "buy" and their median price target nearly $5 higher than my $47.18 year over year estimate

Y Charts rates SWM "neutral' for an overall "Y" rating; "average" for a Value score and "strong" for a Fundamental mark and gives a Historic Valuation score for SWM of "23.89% over-valued" per a Y Charts based $34.60 price calculation.

You could look at all those numbers this way, Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (SWM) has made money, is making money, and could net a 12.8% net gain including a 4% annual dividend yield. It could be more, it could be less.

The above speculation is based on past year performance. Actual results remain to be seen. Results could turn out to be far higher or lower. More study is required for you to determine if Schweitzer-Mauduit International, Inc. (SWM) is worth your time and money.