The Technology sector includes nineteen industries ranging from communication equipment, computers, consumer electronics, and contract manufacturing, to health and information technology and services to internet, scientific instruments, software, solar and all such technological enterprises.

Today I'm reviewing a mid-cap software-application firm.

It's name is National Instruments Corporation.

It's trading ticker symbol is NATI. 

National Instruments Corp designs, manufactures & sells computer-based virtual instrumentation software & hardware products to scientists and engineers. Its products include embedded control and monitoring hardware, NI LabVIEW, and NI LabWindows/CVI and others worldwide.

Further, the company provides NI semiconductor test systems; NI education platform comprising software, hardware, and courseware for students; software and hardware products for teaching; hardware and software maintenance services; and training and certification services. 

It serves advanced research, automotive, automated test equipment, consumer electronics, commercial aerospace, computers and electronics, continuous process manufacturing, education, government/defense, medical research/pharmaceutical, power/energy, semiconductors, and telecommunications industries. 

The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in Austin, Texas.

I use three key data points to gauge the value of any dividend equity or fund like National Instruments Corporation: 

(1) Price

(2) Dividends

(3) Returns

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

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

NATI Price

NATI's price per share was $43.54 at yesterday's market close. A year ago its price was $41.94 for a gain of $1.60 per share.  

Assuming NATI's price will trade in the range of $38 to $53 again next year, its price could grow by that $1.60 again from it current $43.54 to $45.14 by July 2019. 

NATI Dividends

NATI's most recent annually rising quarterly dividend was $0.23 paid June 4. 

The current quarterly payout pegs the annual take at $0.92 for a yield of 2.11% at yesterday's $43.54 share price. 

Gains For NATI?

Adding the $0.92 annual dividend to the $1.60 potential year over year price gain makes a $2.52 projected gross annual per share gain, which will be reduced by any cost to trade these shares.  

A little over $1,000.00 invested today at the $43.54 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 $2.52 gross gain leaves a net gain of $2.09 X 23 shares 

= $48.07

or a 4.8% net gain on a $1,001.42 investment.

Therefore, National Instruments Corporation (whose ticker symbol is NATI), now shows a possible 4.8% net gain including a 2.11% dividend yield. 

Two analysts cover this stock:

Both say "hold" NATI.

Their two analyst consensus recommendation is 2.0 or "Hold" and their median price target is just $0.14 below my $45.14 year over year estimate

Y Charts has rated NATI "neutral' for an overall "Y" rating. Y Charts rates NATI "average" for a Value score and "strong" for a Fundamental reading. A Historic Valuation score for NATI is "39.37% overvalued" per Y Charts rating based on their $31.24 price calculation.

You could look at all those numbers this way, National Instruments Corporation (NATI) has made money, is making money, and could net a 4.8% gain next year including a 2.11% 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 National Instruments Corporation (NATI) is worth your time and money.