Principal Financial Group, Inc. PFG is slated to report first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 25, after market close. In the last reported quarter, the company delivered negative surprise of 16.54%Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Principal Financial’s first-quarter results are likely to benefit from its expanded distribution network and wide range of retirement, investment and protection solutions.Higher fee-based revenues and an increase in investment income are likely to drive revenue improvement. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $3.7 billion, up 11.6% from fourth-quarter 2017.Investment income is likely to benefit from improved interest rate environment.The company is likely to witness improved results at three asset management and asset accumulation segments, driven by extensive distribution footprint, best-in-class solutions, strategic buyouts and operational discipline. These are expected to boost assets under management.Continued share repurchases should lend additional upside to the bottom line.However, the company expects operating expenses to increase attributable to higher branding expenses, benefit costs as well as variable sales expenses.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings stands at $1.32 per share, indicating a decline of 5.7% from the year-ago reported figure.What Our Quantitative Model PredictsOur proven model does not conclusively show that Principal Financial is likely to beat on earnings this reporting season. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here as you will see below.Earnings ESP: Principal Financial has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. This is because both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at $1.32. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Principal Financial Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Principal Financial Group, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Principal Financial Group, Inc. QuoteZacks Rank: Principal Financial carries a Zacks Rank #2. Though Zacks Rank #1, 2 or 3 increases the predictive power of ESP, the company’s ESP of 0.00% makes surprise prediction difficult.We caution against Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Strong Sell) stocks going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to Consider Some stocks from the finance sector with the right combination of elements to surpass estimates this time around are as follows:Invesco Ltd. IVZ is set to report first-quarter earnings on Apr 25. The stock has an Earnings ESP of +1.15% and a Zacks Rank of 2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Legg Mason, Inc. LM has an Earnings ESP of +4.33% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is slated to release first-quarter earnings on Apr 24.T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. TROW has an Earnings ESP of +2.31% and a Zacks Rank of 2. The company will announce first-quarter earnings on Apr 24.Biggest Tech Breakthrough in a GenerationBe among the early investors in the new type of device that experts say could impact society as much as the discovery of electricity. Current technology will soon be outdated and replaced by these new devices. In the process, it’s expected to create 22 million jobs and generate $12.3 trillion in activity.A select few stocks could skyrocket the most as rollout accelerates for this new tech. Early investors could see gains similar to buying Microsoft in the 1990s. Zacks’ just-released special report reveals 7 stocks to watch. The report is only available for a limited time.See 7 breakthrough stocks now>>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 T. Rowe Price Group, Inc. (TROW): Free Stock Analysis Report Invesco Ltd. (IVZ): Free Stock Analysis Report Legg Mason, Inc. (LM): Free Stock Analysis Report Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.