National Steel Company SID is scheduled to report third-quarter 2021 results on Nov 4, after the market closes.Which Way are the Estimates Headed?The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the third-quarter revenues is pinned at $2.41 billion, suggesting year-over-year growth of 48.8%. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarterly earnings per share is pegged at 31 cents, indicating an increase of 82.4%. The estimate has moved south over the past 30 days.Q2 PerformanceIn the last reported quarter, the Brazilian steel maker’s top- and bottom-line figures increased year over year but missed the respective Zacks Consensus Estimate.Factors to ConsiderNational Steel is bearing the brunt of rising raw material costs, which might have impacted its performance in third-quarter 2021. Also, higher interest expenses owing to high debt levels might have dampened the company’s profitability during the quarter under review.Meanwhile, National Steel is likely to have benefited from solid performance of the steel, mining and cement business in the third quarter, driven by strong demand for the residential, commercial self-construction market, civil construction projects as well as robust infrastructure activity in Brazil. These are likely to get reflected in the company’s top-line results for the quarter to be reported.The company’s steel sales are gaining traction from the solid demand recovery in the automotive and domestic markets as well as increase in the foreign market sales. The healthy demand trend is translating into higher prices for steel, which is anticipated to have driven National Steel’s margin during the September-end quarter. Also, the company’s efforts to increase operational efficiency and lower cost of production is likely to have boosted its margins in the third quarter.National Steel Company Price and EPS Surprise National Steel Company price-eps-surprise | National Steel Company QuoteWhat Our Model Indicates?Our proven model doesn’t conclusively predict an earnings beat for National Steel this season. 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.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Earnings ESP: The Earnings ESP for National Steel is 0.00%.Zacks Rank: National Steel currently carries a Zacks Rank of 5 (Strong Sell).You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Price PerformanceNational Steel’s shares have gained 17.6% over the past year, compared with the industry’s rally of 91.8%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchStocks Worth a LookHere are some Basic Materials stocks, which you may consider as our model shows that these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases:MP Materials Corp. MP has an Earnings ESP of +20.37% and carries a Zacks Rank of 2, currently.The Chemours Company CC has a Zacks Rank #2 and an Earnings ESP of +1.26%, at present.Franco-Nevada Corporation FNV, a Zacks #3 Ranked stock, has an Earnings ESP of +0.38%. 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 National Steel Company (SID): Free Stock Analysis Report FrancoNevada Corporation (FNV): Free Stock Analysis Report MP Materials Corp. (MP): Free Stock Analysis Report The Chemours Company (CC): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research