Dominion Energy Inc. D is scheduled to release fourth-quarter 2020 earnings on Feb 12, before the market opens. This utility delivered an earnings surprise of 8% in the last reported quarter.Let’s see how things have shaped up before the upcoming earnings announcement.Factors to NoteDominion generates a substantial portion of regulated electric and natural gas revenues from residential customers. The ongoing expansion of its electric and natural gas customer base is expected to have boosted demand and fourth-quarter earnings. Repurchase of shares and the resultant reduction of shares outstanding are likely to have positively impacted fourth-quarter earnings.ExpectationDominion Energy expects fourth-quarter earnings in the range of 73-87 cents per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the same is pegged at 76 cents per share, indicating a decline of 35.4% from the year-ago reported figure.Quantitative Model PredictsOur proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Dominion Energy 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. But that is not the case here as you will see below.Dominion Energy Inc. Price and EPS Surprise Dominion Energy Inc. price-eps-surprise | Dominion Energy Inc. QuoteEarnings ESP: The company’s Earnings ESP is +9.21%.You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.Zacks Rank: Currently, it carries a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell).Stocks to ConsiderInvestors can consider the following players from the same industry that have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in the to-be-reported quarter.The Southern Company SO is slated to release fourth-quarter 2020 on Feb 18. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.15% and a Zacks Rank #3. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.Exelon Corporation EXC is slated to release fourth-quarter 2020 on Feb 24. It has an Earnings ESP of +2.15% and a Zacks Rank #3.CenterPoint Energy CNP is slated to release fourth-quarter 2020 results on Feb 25. It has an Earnings ESP of +11.11% and a Zacks Rank #3.More Stock News: This Is Bigger than the iPhone!It could become the mother of all technological revolutions. Apple sold a mere 1 billion iPhones in 10 years but a new breakthrough is expected to generate more than 77 billion devices by 2025, creating a $1.3 trillion market.Zacks has just released a Special Report that spotlights this fast-emerging phenomenon and 4 tickers for taking advantage of it. If you don't buy now, you may kick yourself in 2022.Click here for the 4 trades >>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 Southern Company The (SO): Free Stock Analysis Report CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (CNP): Free Stock Analysis Report Exelon Corporation (EXC): Free Stock Analysis Report Dominion Energy Inc. (D): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here.