Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. SPCE is slated to report third-quarter 2021 results on Nov 8, after the closing bell.In the last reported quarter, the company delivered a negative earnings surprise of 30.00%. Virgin Galactic has a trailing four-quarter negative earnings surprise of 33.34%, on average.Factors to NoteDuring the second quarter, the company received the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) approval to expand the existing launch license, which marked the first time that the FAA has approved Spaceline to fly customers to space.This approval opened up avenues to a private astronaut market. This is likely to have favored the third-quarter performance.In the second quarter, the company announced the next rocket-powered spaceflight, Unity 23, from Spaceport America in New Mexico.This flight is likely to be a revenue-generating one with the Italian Air Force. This is likely to have aided the to-be-reported quarter’s performance.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter revenues is pegged at $2.20 million.The company has been experiencing ongoing delays in its business and operations due to the pandemic, which might have weighed on its third-quarter performance. However, solid revenue performance may get reflected in the to-be-reported quarter’s results.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter earnings bottom line is pegged at a loss of 25 cents per share, suggesting growth of 26.5% from the year-ago reported figure.Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. price-eps-surprise | Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. QuoteWhat the Zacks Model UnveilsOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Virgin Galactic this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESPand a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat. But that is not the case here.Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is 0.00%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: Virgin Galactic currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Recent Defence ReleasesHuntington Ingalls HII reported third-quarter 2021 adjusted earnings of $3.58 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.13 by 14.4%.Lockheed Martin CorporationLMT reported third-quarter 2021 adjusted earnings of $6.66 per share, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.96 by a whopping 239.8%.General Dynamics Corporation GD reported third-quarter 2021 earnings from continuing operations of $3.07 per share, which outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.97 by 3.4%. Zacks’ Top Picks to Cash in on Artificial Intelligence This world-changing technology is projected to generate $100S of billions by 2025. From self-driving cars to consumer data analysis, people are relying on machines more than we ever have before. Now is the time to capitalize on the 4th Industrial Revolution. Zacks’ urgent special report reveals 6 AI picks investors need to know about today.See 6 Artificial Intelligence Stocks With Extreme Upside Potential>>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 Lockheed Martin Corporation (LMT): Free Stock Analysis Report General Dynamics Corporation (GD): Free Stock Analysis Report Huntington Ingalls Industries, Inc. (HII): Free Stock Analysis Report Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (SPCE): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.