Image Source: PixabayFortis (FTS) owns and operates eight utility transmission and distribution subsidiaries in Canada and the United States, serving more than 3.4 million electricity and gas customers.The company has smaller stakes in electricity generation and several Caribbean utilities.Subsidiary ITC operates electric transmission in seven U.S. states, with more than 16,000 miles of high-voltage transmission lines in operation. Fortis Inc. was founded in 1885 and is headquartered in St. John’s, Canada.Three key data points gauge Fortis or any dividend-paying firm.The key three are:(1) Price(2) Dividends(3) ReturnsThose three basic keys also best tell whether any company has made, is making, and will make money.FTS PriceOver the past year, the FTS share price decreased 6.8% from $42.00 to $39.14 as of Tuesday’s market close.If Fortis shares trade in the range of $35.00 to $45.00 this next year, its recent $39.14 share price might rise to $40.00 by next year. Of course, the FTS price could also drop about the same $0.86 estimated amount or more.My $0.86 upside estimate is in line with the median of annual target prices from two analysts tracking FTS for brokers.FTS DividendFortis Inc. has paid Quarterly variable dividends since March 2009.FTS’s most recent Q dividend of $0.43 was declared on February 8th for shareholders of record on May 16th and the dividend was paid June 1st.A forward-looking $1.72 annual dividend yields 4.39% at Tuesday’s share price.FTS ReturnsTo put it all together, add the Fortis projected annual dividend of $1.72 to the estimated price upside of $0.86 to get a $2.58 estimated gross gain for the coming year.At Monday’s $39.14 share price, a little over $1000 would buy 26 shares.A $10 broker fee (if charged), paid half at purchase and half at sale, would cost us about $0.385 per share.Subtracting that unlikely $0.385 brokerage cost from the $2.58 estimated gross gain reveals a net gain of $2.195 X 26 shares = $57.04 for about a 5.6% estimated net gain on the year.Furthermore, the $43.90 annual dividend income from $1K invested is just about 1.12 times more than the single share price. By these numbers, FTS is an ideal dividend dog.You might choose to pounce on Fortis Inc. It is a 139-year-old dividend-paying St Johns  Canada-based vertically diversified utility company that has a 15-year track record paying quarterly variable dividends.The exact track of FTS’s future price and dividend will entirely be determined by market action.Remember the true value of any stock is best realized through personal ownership of shares.More By This Author:Current Analysis: EDP
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