Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) will release earnings results for its third quarter after the closing bell on Thursday, Aug. 1. Meanwhile, some investors are eyeing potential gains from the company’s dividends. The Cupertino, California-based company currently has a dividend yield of 0.45%, which is a quarterly dividend amount of 25 cents a share ($1.00 a year). To figure out how to earn $500 monthly from Apple, we start with a yearly target of $6,000 ($500 x 12 months). Next, we take this amount and divide it by Apple’s $1.00 dividend: $6,000 / $1.00 = 6,000 shares So, an investor would need to own a…