As Paychex, Inc. (NASDAQ:PAYX) prepares to release first-quarter earnings before the opening bell on Wednesday, Sept. 23, investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends.

Currently, the Rochester, New York-based company offers an annual dividend yield of 4.14%, with a quarterly dividend amount of $1.19 per share ($4.76 a year).

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

Next, we divide that amount by PAYX’s $4.76 dividend: $6,000 / $4.76 = 1,261 shares.

So, an investor would need to own approximately $145,028 worth of Paychex, or 1,261 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 / $4.76 = 252 shares, or $28,983 to generate a monthly dividend income of $100.

Note that dividend yield can change on a rolling basis, as dividend payments and stock prices both 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 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.

Price Action

Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings of $1.32 per share, up from $1.22 per share a year ago. The consensus estimate for PAYX’s quarterly revenue is $1.63 billion. It reported $1.54 billion last year, according to Benzinga Pro.

On June 24, Paychex reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, with total revenue rising to $1.6 billion for the fourth quarter, up 12% from the prior-year period.

Paychex shares fell 1% to close at $115.01 on Monday.

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