Cerence CRNC is slated to release second-quarter fiscal 2021 results on May 10.The company anticipates revenues between $92 million and $95 million. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for quarterly revenues is pegged at $93.6 million, suggesting 8.2% growth from the $86.5 million reported in the year-ago period.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 53 cents per share, reflecting a year-over-year jump of 23.3%.The company’s earnings beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate in all of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 287%.Cerence Inc. Price and Consensus Cerence Inc. price-consensus-chart | Cerence Inc. QuoteLet’s see how things have shaped up prior to the upcoming announcement.Factors to ConsiderCerence provides artificial intelligence (AI)-powered assistants and innovations for connected and autonomous vehicles. The company’s fiscal second-quarter performance is likely to have benefited from the increased usage of AI to design robust applications for advanced driver assisted systems (ADAS) in self-driving vehicles.Cerence’s expanding foothold among leading automakers is also likely to have been a key catalyst. Moreover, management’s efforts to fortify its global footprint will likely reflect on the quarterly results.Additionally, the company’s continued focus on introducing fresh and updated products is anticipated to have aided top-line growth during the period in discussion.Notably, the Cerence Drive conversational AI platform was recently made available on Android Automotive OS, in a bid to help automakers develop custom, OEM-branded, conversational assistants atop the Android Automotive OS stack for the first time.Moreover, Cerence voice-powered technologies are gaining strength. In this regard, the company recently partnered with Lotus Cars and ECARX, with an aim to deliver simplified interaction and improved safety, efficiency and entertainment to Lotus Cars drivers worldwide. Markedly, Lotus Cars will leverage Cerence’s flagship AI products across voice recognition and natural language understanding, text-to-speech, and speech signal enhancement verticals.The aforementioned moves will have helped the company ad new customers, thereby generating incremental revenues during the quarter.What Our Model SaysOur proven model does not predict an earnings beat for Cerence this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP, and Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), increases the chances of an earnings beat. But that’s not the case here. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell, before they’re reported, with our Earnings ESP Filter.Cerence currently carries a Zacks Rank of 3 and has an Earnings ESP of -16.19%.Stocks With Favorable CombinationsHere are some companies, which, per our model, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat in their upcoming releases:Ralph Lauren Corporation RL has an Earnings ESP of +6.25% and currently sports a Zacks Rank of 1. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.The Walt Disney Company DIS has an Earnings ESP of +46.11% and carries a Zacks Rank #3, at present.Rackspace Technology, Inc. RXT has an Earnings ESP of +4.55% and currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021In addition to the stocks discussed above, would you like to know about our 10 best buy-and-hold tickers for the entirety of 2021?Last year's 2020 Zacks Top 10 Stocks portfolio returned gains as high as +386.8%. Now a brand-new portfolio has been handpicked from over 4,000 companies covered by the Zacks Rank. Don’t miss your chance to get in on these long-term buys.Access Zacks Top 10 Stocks for 2021 today >>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 Ralph Lauren Corporation (RL): Free Stock Analysis Report The Walt Disney Company (DIS): Free Stock Analysis Report Cerence Inc. (CRNC): Free Stock Analysis Report Rackspace Technology, Inc. (RXT): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research