Waters Corporation WAT is scheduled to report fourth-quarter 2020 results on Feb 2.The Zacks Consensus Estimate forthe company’s fourth-quarter earnings is pegged at $2.84 per share, suggesting a decline of 11.3% from the year-ago quarter’s reported figure.Further, the consensus mark for fourth-quarter revenues is projected at $706.8 million, which indicates a year-over-year decrease of 1.3%.Notably, the company beat estimates thrice in the trailing four quarters, while missing the same once. It has a trailing four-quarter positive earnings surprise of 9.32%, on average.Waters Corporation Price and EPS Surprise Waters Corporation price-eps-surprise | Waters Corporation QuoteFactors to ConsiderProduct introductions are expected to have contributed to Waters’ fourth-quarter performance.Moreover, the company’s strong investments in liquid chromatography instruments, mass spectrometers and chemistries are anticipated to have contributed to its performance in the large molecule market in the to-be-reported quarter.Furthermore, Waters’ large molecule applications are expected tohave witnessed a strong adoption rate, which is likely to get reflected in the fourth-quarter results.Additionally, the company’s robust technology portfolio is likely to have strengthen edits presence in the liquid chromatography market in the quarter to be reported.BioAccord, which is the company’s robust liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry solution, is expected to have benefited the Waters segment’s performance in the to-be-reported quarter.Further, strength in products like Cyclic IMS and SYNAPT XS are anticipated to have contributed to the fourth-quarter performance.Moreover, Waters’ Discovery X3 Scanning Calorimeter, Discovery Hybrid Rheometers, TAM IV, Micro XL isothermal and Microcalorimeter are expected to have benefited it in the thermal analysis market in the quarter under review.Solid recovery in China, Europe and America is also anticipated to have driven the company’s performance in the soon-to-be-reported quarter.However, the impacts of the coronavirus-led uncertainties are expected to get reflected in the company’s fourth-quarter results.What Our Model SaysOur proven model conclusively predicts an earnings beat for Waters 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. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Waters has an Earnings ESP of +1.85% and a Zacks Rank #3.Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are some other stocks you may consider, as our proven model shows that thesetoo have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.Qorvo, Inc. QRVO has an Earnings ESP of +0.78% and it currently sports a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Synaptics Incorporated SYNA has an Earnings ESP of +1.42% and a Zacks Rank of 2 at present.PayPal Holdings, Inc. PYPL currently has an Earnings ESP of +1.93% and a Zacks Rank #3.Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?Zacks has just released a Special Report on the booming investment opportunities of legal marijuana.Ignited by referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $17.7 billion in 2019 to a staggering $73.6 billion by 2027. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.See the pot stocks 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 Waters Corporation (WAT): Free Stock Analysis Report Synaptics Incorporated (SYNA): Free Stock Analysis Report Qorvo, Inc. (QRVO): Free Stock Analysis Report PayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research