Cardinal Health Inc. CAH is set to report third-quarter fiscal 2016 earnings on Apr 28. Last quarter, the company reported earnings of $1.30 per share, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by a nickel. Notably, Cardinal Health posted a positive earnings surprise of 8.52% on an average over the last four quarters.Let’s see how things are shaping up for this announcement.Factors at PlayCardinal Health is banking on acquisitions, strategic buyouts, joint ventures and supply agreements to drive growth. We believe that the Red Oak sourcing venture with CVS Health and partnerships with Henry Schein and Bayer Healthcare present significant growth opportunities.Meanwhile, the acquisitions of Metro Medical, The Harvard Drug Group and Cordis are key growth catalysts. Moreover, China presents significant growth opportunities in our view.Furthermore, growth in new and existing customer count as well as consistent stock repurchases will boost earnings. However, foreign exchange rate volatility and generic pricing pressure are major concerns.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that Cardinal Health is likely to beat earnings 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. That is not the case here as you will see below.Zacks ESP: Cardinal Health has an Earnings ESP of 0.00%. That is because both the Most Accurate estimate and the Zacks Consensus Estimate stand at $1.33.Zacks Rank: Cardinal Health carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell). We caution against stocks with a Zacks Rank #4 and 5 (Sell-rated stocks) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to ConsiderHere are some companies you may consider as our model shows they have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter: PAREXEL International Corporation PRXL with earnings ESP of +2.25% and a Zacks Rank #1.Align Technology Inc. ALGN with earnings ESP of +12.82% and a Zacks Rank #1.Becton, Dickinson and Company BDX with earnings ESP of +2.49% and a Zacks Rank #2. 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 >>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 ALIGN TECH INC (ALGN): Free Stock Analysis Report BECTON DICKINSO (BDX): Free Stock Analysis Report PAREXEL INTL CP (PRXL): Free Stock Analysis Report CARDINAL HEALTH (CAH): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research