NextEra Energy Partners, LP NEP is scheduled to release first-quarter 2021 earnings on Apr 21, before market open. The partnership delivered an earnings surprise of 123.7% in the last reported quarter.Let’s focus on the factors that might have impacted the firm’s earnings in the March quarter.Factors to ConsiderNextEra Energy Partners’ efforts to execute long-term strategic objectives and focus on the United States are expected to have boosted its first-quarter performance. Last year, the company converted $300 million convertible debt to equity, which must have lowered interest payment burden in the first quarter.Completion of three organic growth projects in 2020 is likely to have benefited its earnings in the first quarter. The firm is also expected to have benefited from the high-quality clean energy portfolio.Trend in Estimate RevisionThe Zacks Consensus Estimate for first-quarter earnings and revenues is pegged at 33 cents per unit and $295.1 million, respectively. The projected revenues and earnings per unit indicate a rise of 39.2% and 109.7%, respectively, from the year-ago reported numbers.What Our Quantitative Model PredictsOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for NextEra Partners this time around. A stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) to surpass estimates. That is not the case here as you will see below. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.NextEra Energy Partners, LP Price and EPS Surprise NextEra Energy Partners, LP price-eps-surprise | NextEra Energy Partners, LP QuoteEarnings ESP: It has an Earnings ESP of +86.26%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: Currently, NextEra Energy Partners carries a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell).Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few stocks from the same sector that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the upcoming releases:Ormat Technologies Inc. ORA is scheduled to release first-quarter 2021 results on May 5, 2021. It has an Earnings ESP of +12.66% and a Zacks Rank #3.Linde LIN is scheduled to release first-quarter 2021 results on May 6, 2021. It has an Earnings ESP of +0.57% and a Zacks Rank #2.EOG Resources EOG is scheduled to release first-quarter 2021 results on May 7, 2021. It has an Earnings ESP of +14.8% and sports a Zacks Rank #1.Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 best buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2021?Last year's 2020 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +386.8%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021 today >>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 EOG Resources, Inc. (EOG): Get Free Report Ormat Technologies, Inc. (ORA): Free Stock Analysis Report Linde plc (LIN): Free Stock Analysis Report NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NEP): Get Free Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research