UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) will release earnings results for the third quarter, before the opening bell on Tuesday.

Analysts expect the company to report quarterly earnings at $2.81 per share, down from $7.15 per share in the year-ago period. The consensus estimate for UnitedHealth Group's quarterly revenue is $113.06 billion, compared to $100.82 billion a year earlier, according to data from Benzinga Pro.

On Oct. 14, Goldman Sachs analyst Scott Fidel initiated coverage on UnitedHealth Group with a Buy rating and announced a price target of $406.

With the recent buzz around UnitedHealth Group, some investors may be eyeing potential gains from the company's dividends too. As of now, UnitedHealth Group offers an annual dividend yield of 2.44%, with a quarterly dividend of $2.21 per share ($8.84 a year).  

So, how can investors exploit its dividend yield to pocket a regular $500 monthly?

To earn $500 per month or $6,000 annually from dividends alone, you would need an investment of approximately $246,138 or around 679 shares. For a more modest $100 per month or $1,200 per year, you would need $49,300 or around 136 shares.

To calculate: Divide the desired annual income ($6,000 or $1,200) by the dividend ($8.84 in this case). So, $6,000 / $8.84 = 679 ($500 per month), and $1,200 / $8.84 = 136 shares ($100 per month).

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

How that works: The dividend yield is computed by dividing the annual dividend payment by the stock’s current price.

For example, if a stock pays an annual dividend of $2 and is currently priced at $50, the dividend yield would be 4% ($2/$50). However, if the stock price increases to $60, the dividend yield drops to 3.33% ($2/$60). Conversely, if the stock price falls to $40, the dividend yield rises to 5% ($2/$40).

Similarly, changes in the dividend payment can impact the yield. If a company increases its dividend, the yield will also increase, provided the stock price stays the same. Conversely, if the dividend payment decreases, so will the yield.

UNH Price Action: Shares of UnitedHealth Group rose 0.6% to close at $362.50 on Friday.

Read More:

• Top 3 Real Estate Stocks That May Explode In Q4

Photo: JHVEPhoto on Shutterstock.com