Akamai Technologies AKAM is set to release first-quarter 2019 results on Apr 30.Notably, the company has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 9.5%.In the last reported quarter, Akamai benefited from higher revenues, favorable impact of the cost reduction initiatives and lower tax rate. The top line benefited from robust performance of the cloud security business, growth in Media and Carrier Division, strong seasonal traffic, and operational efficiency.For first-quarter 2019, revenues are anticipated between $690 million and $704 million. Non-GAAP earnings are expected between $1 and $1.05 per share. Akamai Technologies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Akamai Technologies, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | Akamai Technologies, Inc. Quote The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues currently stands at $698.4 million, indicating growth of 4.4% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure. Moreover, the consensus mark for earnings has remained steady at $1.02 over the past 30 days, implying growth of 29.1% from the figure reported in the year-ago period.Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Factors to WatchSolid demand for Kona Site Defender, Nominum services, Bot Manager and Prolexic Solutions are anticipated to drive Cloud Security Solutions revenues in the to-be-reported quarter.Notably, Akamai exited the fourth quarter at a run rate of around $750 million for the security business.Synergies from the Nominum acquisition (completed in Nov, 2017) are enabling the company to enhance the Enterprise Threat Protector solution, and expand presence among carrier and enterprise customers. Growing influence of the company’s security solutions among media customers is also noteworthy.Additionally, the company’s solutions are winning awards and industry-wide recognition is improving its brand reputation. Kona Site Defender secured “Best Web Application Solution” award at SC Media's 23rd annual SC Awards ceremony, held at RSA Conference in San Francisco during the quarter.These aforesaid factors are helping Akamai win new customers. Moreover, expansion of the security solutions portfolio is anticipated to not only lower dependence on media delivery solutions but also offset loss of large customers in the CDN space.Further, completion of the Janrain acquisition in the last reported quarter strengthened Akamai’s security solutions portfolio. The integration of Janrain’s Identity Cloud with Intelligent Edge Platform now enables Akamai to provide enhanced secure services to its CIAM customers, in turn bolstering engagement. This is expected to drive top-line growth in the first quarter.Additionally, robust over-the-top (OTT) content viewing, increasing adoption of mobile data/apps and growing mobile data traffic bode well for Akamai.Strong growth in demand for High Definition video over the Internet is driving bandwidth requirements, thereby accelerating demand for the company’s solutions and driving revenues. However, increasing total bandwidth costs are a headwind for Akamai. What Our Model SaysAccording to the Zacks model, a company with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) along with a positive Earnings ESP has a good chance of beating estimates. The Sell-rated stocks (Zacks Rank #4 or 5) are best avoided.Akamai has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +0.57%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell, before they’re reported, with our Earnings ESP Filter.Other Stocks With Favorable CombinationHere are some other stocks you may want to consider, as our model shows these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat.Synopsis SNPS has an Earnings ESP of +1.15% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Intuit INTU has an Earnings ESP of +1.49% and a Zacks Rank #2.Sapiens International SPNS has an Earnings ESP of +6.67% and a Zacks Rank #2.Zacks' Top 10 Stocks for 2019In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 finest buy-and-holds for the year?Who wouldn't? Our annual Top 10s have beaten the market with amazing regularity. In 2018, while the market dropped -5.2%, the portfolio scored well into double-digits overall with individual stocks rising as high as +61.5%. And from 2012-2017, while the market boomed +126.3, Zacks' Top 10s reached an even more sensational +181.9%.See Latest Stocks 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 Akamai Technologies, Inc. (AKAM): Free Stock Analysis Report Sapiens International Corporation N.V. (SPNS): Free Stock Analysis Report Intuit Inc. (INTU): Free Stock Analysis Report Synopsys, Inc. (SNPS): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research