Eversource Energy ES is scheduled to report second-quarter 2017 results before the opening bell on Jul 27. Last quarter, the company reported negative earnings surprise of 1.20%.Let’s see how things are holding up for the second quarter.Factors to ConsiderEversource Energy continues to manage its expenses quite effectively and is expected to gain from its cost reduction initiatives.Like the first quarter, Eversource is expected to benefit from higher transmission investments, which will result in higher transmission earnings.Eversource gets a portion of business function through third-party suppliers and service providers. Substandard performance by these third parties could harm its business and profitability.Eversource Energy Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise Eversource Energy Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Eversource Energy QuoteEarnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that Eversource Energy is likely to beat estimates this quarter. That is because a stock needs to have both a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) for this to happen. But that is not the case here, as you will see below. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks ESP: The Earnings ESP, which represents the difference between the Most Accurate estimate of 67 cents and the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 68 cents is pegged at – 1.47%.Zacks Rank: Though Eversource Energy’s Zacks Rank #2 increases the predictive power of the ESP, its negative ESP makes surprise prediction difficult.Note that we caution against stocks with Zacks Ranks #4 or #5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks That Warrant a LookHere are a few utility stocks which have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter:NiSource, Inc NI has an earnings ESP of +10% and a Zacks Rank #2. It is expected to report second-quarter 2017 earnings on Aug 2.The AES Corp. AES has an earnings ESP of +20.00% and a Zacks Rank #2. It is expected to report second-quarter 2017 earnings on Aug 8.Pattern Energy Group Inc. PEGI is expected to report second-quarter 2017 earnings on Aug 4. It has an earnings ESP of +23.08% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.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 trillionaries," 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 NiSource, Inc (NI): Free Stock Analysis Report The AES Corporation (AES): Free Stock Analysis Report Pattern Energy Group Inc. (PEGI): Free Stock Analysis Report Eversource Energy (ES): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research