Centene Corporation CNC is slated to release second-quarter 2021 results on Jul 27, before the opening bell.Q2 EstimatesThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s second-quarter earnings per share is pegged at $1.41, indicating a 41.3% drop from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure. The consensus mark for revenues stands at $30.1 billion, which suggests growth of 8.7% from the year-ago quarter’s reported number.Factors to NoteCentene’s performance for the to-be-reported quarter is likely to have suffered steep expenses, stemming from higher medical costs, selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses, amortization of acquired intangible assets and a premium tax expense.Revenues are likely to have gained from better premiums, growth in the Health Insurance Marketplace business and expansions plus new programs across many states. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s premiums is pegged at $27.3 billion, which indicates an improvement of 10.1% from the prior-year quarter’s reported figure.Centene’s second-quarter performance is expected to have received a boost from its leading nationwide position in offering government sponsored healthcare. The company is likely to have witnessed higher enrolment in its Medicare Advantage business in the to-be-reported quarter. Its Health Insurance Marketplace business might have witnessed an improving performance on the back of consistent pricing discipline and higher retention rates.Medical membership of the company has been rising over the past several quarters on contract wins and expansion across different regions. The consensus estimate for total membership suggests growth of 1.9% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.The company anticipates below historical averages in traditional utilization for the second quarter.Earnings Surprise HistoryThe company has a decent earnings surprise history. Its bottom line beat estimates in two of the trailing four quarters and missed the same in the remaining two, the average surprise being 7.96%. This is depicted in the chart below:What Our Quantitative Model PredictsThe proven Zacks model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Centene this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here.Earnings ESP: Centene has an Earnings ESP of -13.63%. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate is pegged at $1.22, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.41. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Centene Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Centene Corporation price-eps-surprise | Centene Corporation QuoteZacks Rank: Centene carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Stocks to ConsiderSome stocks worth considering from the medical space with the perfect mix of elements to surpass estimates in their upcoming releases are as follows.The Joint Corp. JYNT has an Earnings ESP of +150.00% and a Zacks Rank #3, currently.The Ensign Group, Inc. ENSG has an Earnings ESP of +1.14% and a Zacks Rank of 3, presently.AmerisourceBergen Corporation ABC has an Earnings ESP of +2.20% and a Zacks Rank of 3, presently. Infrastructure Stock Boom to Sweep America A massive push to rebuild the crumbling U.S. infrastructure will soon be underway. It’s bipartisan, urgent, and inevitable. Trillions will be spent. Fortunes will be made. The only question is “Will you get into the right stocks early when their growth potential is greatest?” Zacks has released a Special Report to help you do just that, and today it’s free. Discover 7 special companies that look to gain the most from construction and repair to roads, bridges, and buildings, plus cargo hauling and energy transformation on an almost unimaginable scale.Download FREE: How to Profit from Trillions on Spending for Infrastructure >>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 AmerisourceBergen Corporation (ABC): Free Stock Analysis Report Centene Corporation (CNC): Free Stock Analysis Report The Ensign Group, Inc. (ENSG): Free Stock Analysis Report The Joint Corp. (JYNT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research