LKQ Corporation LKQ is set to report third-quarter 2018 results before the opening bell on Oct 25.In the last reported quarter, the company delivered an earnings surprise of 5.2%. Per the earnings record, it missed estimates in two of the trailing four quarters, while beating earnings on the other two occasions. The average earnings surprise was 0.8%.In the past six months, shares of LKQ Corporation have underperformed the industry it belongs to. The stock has plunged 27.6% compared with 2.7% decline recorded by the industry.Let’s see, how things have shaped up for the upcoming announcement.LKQ Corporation Price and EPS Surprise LKQ Corporation Price and EPS Surprise | LKQ Corporation QuoteFactors Influencing This QuarterLKQ Corporation focuses on improving its footprint through organic expansion and acquisitions. For 2018, the company expects organic revenue growth of 4.5-5.5% for parts & services compared with 4-5.5% stated earlier. Adjusted earnings per share from continuing operations in 2018 are expected to be between $2.25 and $2.33, up from $2.2-$2.3 stated earlier.In the first half of 2018, SG&A rose 21.9% year over year to $1.59 billion. Further, the company expects capital expenses of $255-$285 million in 2018, up from $235-$265 million stated earlier. This high expenditure might be due to fluctuating price of fuel, scrap metal and other commodities as well as product recall.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for third-quarter 2018 revenues for the Parts and Services segment is $2.95 billion. In second-quarter 2018, revenues from the Parts and Services segment were $2.88 billion.Earnings WhispersOur proven model does not conclusively show that LKQ Corporation is likely to beat on earnings this quarter. This is because, a stock needs to have a positive Earnings ESP and a favorable 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.Earnings ESP: LKQ Corporation has an Earnings ESP of -0.53%. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: LKQ Corporation currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3, which increases the predictive power of ESP. However, this, combined with its Earnings ESP, makes a surprise prediction difficult.Note that we caution against stocks with a Rank #4 or 5 (Sell-rated) going into the earnings announcement, especially when the company is witnessing negative estimate revisions.Stocks to ConsiderHere are a few auto stocks worth considering, comprising the right combination of elements to deliver an earnings beat this time around:Cummins Inc. CMI has an Earnings ESP of +1.46% and a Zacks Rank of 3. The company will report third-quarter 2018 financial figures on Oct 30.You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Fox Factory Holding Corp. FOXF has an Earnings ESP of +2.77% and a Zacks Rank #3. The company’s third-quarter 2018 financial results are expected to be released on Nov 7.Meritor, Inc. MTOR has an Earnings ESP of +2.36% and is a Zacks #3 Ranked player. The company’s third-quarter 2018 financial numbers are expected to be announced on Nov 14.Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.See the pot trades we're targeting>> 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 Fox Factory Holding Corp. (FOXF): Free Stock Analysis Report Meritor, Inc. (MTOR): Free Stock Analysis Report LKQ Corporation (LKQ): Free Stock Analysis Report Cummins Inc. (CMI): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.