Ahead of Methode Electronics, Inc. (NYSE:MEI) fourth-quarter report on Wednesday, June 24, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company's dividends.

Currently, its annual dividend yield is 1.73%, with a quarterly dividend of 5 cents per share (20 cents per year).

To figure out how to earn $500 monthly from Methode Electronics, start with the yearly target of $6,000 ($500 x 12 months).

Next, divide this amount by Methode Electronics' $0.20 dividend: $6,000 / $0.20 = 30,000 shares.

So, an investor would need to own approximately $347,100 worth of Methode Electronics, or 30,000 shares to generate a monthly dividend income of $500.

Assuming a more conservative goal of $100 monthly ($1,200 annually), we do the same calculation: $1,200 / $0.20 = 6,000 shares, or $69,420 to generate a monthly dividend income of $100.

Note that the dividend yield can change on a rolling basis (as the dividend payment and the stock price fluctuate over time).

The dividend yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend payment by the current stock price. As the stock price changes, the dividend yield will also change.

For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and its current price is $50, its dividend yield would be 4%. However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield would decrease to 3.33% ($2/$60).

Conversely, if the stock price decreases to $40, the dividend yield would increase to 5% ($2/$40).

Further, the dividend payment itself can also change over time, which can also impact the dividend yield. If a company increases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will increase even if the stock price remains the same. Similarly, if a company decreases its dividend payment, the dividend yield will decrease.

MEI Price Action: Shares of Methode Electronics rose by 0.2% to close at $11.57 on Wednesday.

On March 5, Methode Electronics posted mixed results for the third quarter.

This time, analysts expect the company to report a quarterly loss of 21 cents per share. Methode saw a loss of 7 cents per share in the year-ago period.

The consensus estimate for Methode Electronics' quarterly revenue is $238.56 million. It reported $257.1 million last year, according to Benzinga Pro.

Photo via Shutterstock