Chubb Limited CB is slated to report first-quarter 2018 results on Apr 24 after the market closes. Last quarter, the company delivered a positive earnings surprise of 37.23%.Let’s see, how things are shaping up for this announcement.Chubb’s first quarter underwriting results will be affected by the California mudslides (which occurred in early January). Chubb has projected catastrophe loss from the same at nearly $125 million after tax while the total catastrophe loss is estimated at $305 million after tax. This apart, the company has issued loss estimates pertaining to the northeast winter storms, which hit the East Coast first on Jan 3 and later on Mar 1, 2018. Net loss from these storms is anticipated to be $115 million and $80 million, respectively, on a pre-tax basis.Further, other net losses related to natural catastrophes to date globally in the first quarter, are projected at $60 million pretax.It is important to mention here that such loss is attributable to commercial and personal property plus casualty insurance operations as well as reinsurance activities. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s combined ratio is pegged at 89%, a deterioration of 100 basis points from the year-ago quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at $2.24, reflecting a 9.7% year-over-year decrease.Additionally, the company might have incurred increased expenses, mainly due to higher loss and loss expenses, policy acquisition costs, administrative expenses as well as policy benefits. This in turn will possibly weigh on the P&C insurer’s operating margin expansion. However, higher net investment income is expected to have cushioned the company’s top line. In fact, the Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $780 million, representing a rise of 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. This is mainly owing to the improved interest rates as well as better-than-expected private equity distributions. Also, the company expects its quarterly investment income run rate to range between $845 million and $855 million.Moreover, the company is likely to report increased premiums in the soon-to-be-reported quarter, driven by an improved commercial property and casualty (P&C) pricing across its numerous business lines as well as a compelling product portfolio.Strategic buyouts are expected to have contributed to this probable increase in premiums.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that Chubb is likely to beat on earnings this quarter. This is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a bullish 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.Zacks ESP: Chubb has an Earnings ESP of -0.17%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP Filter. Zacks Rank: Chubb carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), which lowers the predictive power of ESP. We caution against the Sell-rated stocks (#4 or 5) going into an earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Chubb Limited Price and EPS Surprise Chubb Limited Price and EPS Surprise | Chubb Limited Quote Stocks to ConsiderSome stocks worth considering from the insurance industry with the right combination of elements to surpass estimates this time around are as follows:Kemper Corporation KMPR is set to report first-quarter earnings on Apr 30. The stock has an Earnings ESP of +23.79% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Allstate Corporation ALL has an Earnings ESP of +3.56% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company is scheduled to announce first-quarter earnings on May 1.American Financial Group, Inc. AFG has an Earnings ESP of +2.40% and a Zacks Rank #2. The company is slated to release first-quarter earnings on May 2.Wall Street’s Next Amazon Zacks EVP Kevin Matras believes this familiar stock has only just begun its climb to become one of the greatest investments of all time. It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity to invest in pure genius.Click for details >>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 Kemper Corporation (KMPR): Free Stock Analysis Report Chubb Limited (CB): Free Stock Analysis Report The Allstate Corporation (ALL): Free Stock Analysis Report American Financial Group, Inc. (AFG): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research