CONSOL Energy Inc. CNX is expected to report second-quarter 2017 results before the market opens on Aug 1. Last quarter, the coal and natural gas company reported a positive earnings surprise of 54.55%. Let’s find out what’s in store in this quarter.Factors to ConsiderCONSOL Energy is expected to continue with its debt reduction in second quarter supported by proceeds for the non-core assets sales and organic free cash flow generation.Thanks to its drilling efficiency, reduction in transportation, gathering and compression costs CONSOL Energy expects its E&P margins to improve from the year-ago levels.However, dependence on a limited group of customers for bulk sales of coal is a concern. In July, CONSOL Energy filed Form 10 with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to separate its Coal Mining and Exploration & Production (E&P) Division into two distinct publicly-traded companies.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that CONSOL Energy is likely to beat estimates this quarter as it does not have the right combination of the two key ingredients. Note that a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), #2 (Buy) or #3 (Hold) to be able to beat estimates. However, that is not the case here, as elaborated below.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks ESP: CONSOL Energy has an Earnings ESP of -10.00% since the Most Accurate estimate is 9 cents, lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 10 cents.CONSOL Energy Inc. Price and EPS Surprise CONSOL Energy Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | CONSOL Energy Inc. QuoteZacks Rank: CONSOL Energy’s Zacks Rank #3 increases the predictive power of ESP. However, when combined with -10.00% ESP, it makes surprise prediction difficult.Note that we caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to ConsiderWhile CONSOL Energy failed to secure the required mix, here are a few companies from the Zacks categorized Sector that are likely to post a beat this earnings season.CNX Coal Resources L.P. CNXC is expected to release second-quarter 2017 results on Jul 31. The company has an Earnings ESP of +1.96% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Genesis Energy, L.P. GEL is expected to release second-quarter 2017 results on Aug 2. The company has an Earnings ESP of +4.55% and a Zacks Rank #3.Enbridge Inc. ENB is expected to release second-quarter 2017 results on Aug 3. The company has an Earnings ESP of +38.24% and a Zacks Rank #3.The Hottest Tech Mega-Trend of AllLast year, it generated $8 billion in global revenues. By 2020, it's predicted to blast through the roof to $47 billion. Famed investor Mark Cuban says it will produce "the world's first trillionaires," but that should still leave plenty of money for regular investors who make the right trades early.See Zacks' 3 Best Stocks to Play This Trend >>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 Genesis Energy, L.P. (GEL): Free Stock Analysis Report CONSOL Energy Inc. (CNX): Free Stock Analysis Report CNX Coal Resources LP (CNXC): Free Stock Analysis Report Enbridge Inc (ENB): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research