Howmet Aerospace Inc. HWM is slated to report second-quarter 2021 results on Aug 4, before market open.The company delivered impressive results in three of the last four quarters, while lagging estimates once. Its average earnings surprise is 177.13%. In the last reported quarter, the company’s reported earnings of 22 cents per share surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 20 cents by 10.00%.In the past three months, shares of Howmet Aerospace have gained 2.5% against the industry’s decline of 2.3%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Let us delve deeper.Key Factors & Estimates for Q2Over time, Howmet Aerospace has been benefiting from solid product offerings, efforts to innovate and exposure in diverse end markets. Healthy demand for cleaner energy is believed to have benefitted its business in the industrial gas turbine market in the quarter under review. Growth in the commercial transportation market is likely to have been another tailwind.On the flip side, the pandemic woes have been hurting the company’s aerospace operations for the past few quarters. The company’s commercial aerospace revenues declined 52% year over year in the first quarter, suffering from the pandemic-related restrictions and production issues of Boeing 787 and Boeing 737 MAX. Howmet Aerospace predicts a year-over-year decline in revenues from the commercial aerospace market.Supply-chain issues related to shortages of parts (like semiconductors) are believed to have hurt operations in the commercial transportation market.Howmet Aerospace follows effective pricing strategies and cost-control measures, which are likely to have aided its margins and profitability. The lowering of debts is believed to have reduced interest expenses.For second-quarter 2021, the company expects revenues of $1.17-$1.23 billion, whereas it generated $1.3 billion in the year-ago quarter. Earnings for the quarter are expected to be 19-21 cents per share.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $1,207 million for the second quarter of 2021, suggesting a 3.7% decrease from the year-ago quarter’s reported number and a 0.2% decline from the prior-quarter figure. Earnings estimates are pegged at 22 cents per share, indicating a decrease of 31.3% from the year-ago reported figure and no change from the previous quarter.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Howmet Aerospace 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. The case with Howmet Aerospace is shown below. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Earnings ESP: Howmet Aerospace has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%, with both the Most Accurate Estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate pegged at 22 cents.Howmet Aerospace Inc. Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Howmet Aerospace Inc. price-consensus-eps-surprise-chart | Howmet Aerospace Inc. QuoteZacks Rank: The company currently has a Zacks Rank #2.Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies that you may want to consider as according to our model these have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.Donaldson Company, Inc. DCI currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.03% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Zebra Technologies, Inc. ZBRA presently has an Earnings ESP of +0.81% and a Zacks Rank of 2.Flowserve Corporation FLS currently has an Earnings ESP of +3.58% and is a Zacks #2 Ranked player. 5 Stocks Set to Double Each was hand-picked by a Zacks expert as the #1 favorite stock to gain +100% or more in 2021. Each comes from a different sector and has unique qualities and catalysts that could fuel exceptional growth. Most of the stocks in this report are flying under Wall Street radar, which provides a great opportunity to get in on the ground floor. Today, See These 5 Potential Home Runs >>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 Flowserve Corporation (FLS): Free Stock Analysis Report Donaldson Company, Inc. (DCI): Free Stock Analysis Report Zebra Technologies Corporation (ZBRA): Free Stock Analysis Report Howmet Aerospace Inc. (HWM): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research