CenterPoint Energy, Inc. CNP is set to report second-quarter 2021 results on Aug 5, before the opening bell.In the last reported quarter, the company delivered an earnings surprise of 18.00%. Moreover, it surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings in the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 15.22%.Let’s see how things have shaped up prior to this announcement.Factors to ConsiderCenterPoint Energy’s service territories experienced above-average temperatures during most parts of the second quarter. Such weather conditions are expected to have increased electricity demand for cooling purposes from the utility’s consumers, which in turn is expected to have boosted its revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.However, the company’s service territories witnessed quite a handful of severe storms during the second quarter. These might have caused a few outages, thereby temporarily halting operations. This, in turn, might have had an adverse impact on the company’s top-line performance.In line with such events, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter revenues is pegged at $1.56 billion, suggesting a 1.1% decline from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.CenterPoint Energy has been successfully reducing its incremental gas costs and O&M costs over the past couple of quarters. The continuance of such a trend can be expected to have boosted its earnings in the second quarter. The company, in the first quarter, started recovering from storm-related costs in Arkansas and Louisiana. Such cost recoveries are likely to have favorably impacted the company’s bottom line in the second quarter.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter earnings is pegged at 25 cents per share, indicating a 19.1% improvement from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.CenterPoint Energy, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise CenterPoint Energy, Inc. price-eps-surprise | CenterPoint Energy, Inc. QuoteEarnings WhispersOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for CenterPoint Energy this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the chances of an earnings beat.Earnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is +0.68%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: CenterPoint Energy carries a Zacks Rank #3, currently. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few players from the Utilities sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this season.Duke Energy DUK has an Earnings ESP of +0.15% and a Zacks Rank #3.Telephone and Data Systems TDS has an Earnings ESP of +6.33% and a Zacks Rank #1.A Recent Utility ReleaseDTE Energy Company DTE reported second-quarter 2021 operating earnings per share (EPS) of $1.70, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.44 by 18.1%. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2021. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>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 Duke Energy Corporation (DUK): Free Stock Analysis Report DTE Energy Company (DTE): Free Stock Analysis Report CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP): Free Stock Analysis Report Telephone and Data Systems, Inc. (TDS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research