Ingersoll-Rand Plc IR is slated to report third-quarter 2018 results on Oct 24, before the market opens.The company pulled off an average positive earnings surprise of 5.29% over the preceding four quarters. Notably, Ingersoll's second-quarter 2018 adjusted earnings of $1.85 per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.72.Let’s see how things are shaping up prior to this announcement.Factors at PlayIngersoll believes sturdier commercial and residential Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), transport solutions and rental services businesses will continue to drive its revenues in the quarters ahead. In addition to these, the ICS Cool Energy (January 2018) buyout and the existing direct sales strategy will likely boost the company’s top-line performance in the to-be-reported quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimates for third-quarter 2018 revenues of the company’s Climate and Industrial segments are currently pegged at $3,214 million and $799 million, higher than the respective tallies of $2,939 million and $731 million reported in the year-ago quarter.Ingersoll expects that stellar revenues, increased productivity, pricing actions, recent share-buyback moves and reduced interest rates will continue to fuel its bottom-line growth in the near term. However, rising cost of sales may dent the company’s profitability, going forward.We notice that price inflation in some major inputs and higher tariffs relating to the implementation of Section 232 and Section 301 tariff rule might continue to escalate Ingersoll's aggregate cost, in turn, weighing over its profitability, in the near run. Additionally, we fear that ongoing investments in high ROI projects may hurt Ingersoll’s near-term profits.The Zacks Consensus Estimates for the third-quarter 2018 operating income of the company’s Climate and Industrial segments are currently pinned at $548 million and $112 million, higher than the respective tallies of $480 million and $89 million recorded in the year-ago quarter. However, these estimates fall short of the corresponding tallies of $583 million and $121 million witnessed in the last reported quarter.Earnings WhispersOur proven model provides some idea on the stocks that are about to release their earnings results. Per the model, a stock needs to have a combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) or at least 3 (Hold) for a likely earnings beat.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with ourEarnings ESP Filter.That is not the case here as we will see below.Earnings ESP: Ingersoll has an Earnings ESP of -1.04%. This is because the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.72 comes in higher than the Most Accurate Estimate of $1.70 per share.Ingersoll-Rand PLC (Ireland) Price and EPS Surprise Ingersoll-Rand PLC (Ireland) Price and EPS Surprise | Ingersoll-Rand PLC (Ireland) QuoteZacks Rank: Ingersoll’s favorable Zacks Rank of 2, when combined with a negative Earnings ESP, makes surprise predictions inconclusive.It should be noted that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to Consider Here are some stocks in the Zacks Industrial Products sector that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these picks have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:AptarGroup, Inc. ATR has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +0.77%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Kennametal Inc. KMT has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +0.22%.Flowserve Corporation FLS has a Zacks Rank of 2 and an Earnings ESP of +1.72%.Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana. Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.See the pot trades we're targeting>>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report AptarGroup, Inc. (ATR): Free Stock Analysis Report Kennametal Inc. (KMT): Free Stock Analysis Report Flowserve Corporation (FLS): Free Stock Analysis Report Ingersoll-Rand PLC (Ireland) (IR): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research