Woodward Inc. (WWD) is gearing up to release its fourth-quarter earnings results after the closing bell on Monday, November 24. For investors focused on dividend income, the aerospace and industrial component maker presents an interesting case study in what it actually takes to build meaningful monthly cash flow from stocks.

Analysts are expecting solid results, with consensus estimates calling for earnings of $1.87 per share, up nicely from $1.41 per share in the same quarter last year. Revenue projections sit at $943.15 million, compared to $854.49 million a year earlier. The sentiment around Woodward has been improving lately—on October 3, Wolfe Research analyst Louis Raffetto upgraded the stock from Peer Perform to Outperform with a $300 price target.

But let's talk about the dividend angle. Woodward currently offers an annual dividend yield of 0.43%, which breaks down to a quarterly payment of 28 cents per share, or $1.12 annually. That's not exactly a high-yield play, which means the math gets interesting if you're trying to generate substantial monthly income.

Here's the reality check: To pocket $500 per month—that's $6,000 annually—from Woodward dividends alone, you'd need to own approximately 5,357 shares. At recent prices, that represents an investment of roughly $1,389,659. If you're targeting a more modest $100 per month ($1,200 yearly), you'd still need about 1,071 shares, or an investment of approximately $277,828.

The calculation is straightforward: Take your desired annual income and divide it by the annual dividend per share. So $6,000 divided by $1.12 equals 5,357 shares for the $500 monthly target, and $1,200 divided by $1.12 gets you 1,071 shares for the $100 monthly goal.

Keep in mind that dividend yields aren't static. They move around based on two variables: the dividend payment itself and the stock price. The yield is calculated by dividing the annual dividend by the current stock price.

Here's how that works in practice: Say a stock pays a $2 annual dividend and trades at $50. That's a 4% yield ($2 divided by $50). If the stock price climbs to $60, the yield drops to 3.33% ($2 divided by $60). But if the price falls to $40, the yield jumps to 5% ($2 divided by $40).

The same principle applies when companies change their dividend payments. An increased dividend boosts the yield assuming the stock price holds steady, while a dividend cut lowers it.

Recent price action: Woodward shares rose 0.7% to close at $259.41 on Wednesday.