CNBC Pro Stocks to Buy Before Q1 Earnings

It's April, and we're just a few weeks into the second quarter of 2021. This means publicly traded companies are gearing up for their first-quarter earnings calls, where they'll divulge their fiscal health for any investor to see.

An earnings report can make or break a stock in the short term. CNBC analytics are divulging the companies with stellar EPS expectations, so investors can get in before the bull run. 

No one analyst should have the final say on your investment decisions. In fact, your sources should be as diversified as your portfolio. But CNBC Pro's six top stocks ahead of the first-quarter earnings give valuable insight into the market's next moves.

• Boeing (NYSE:BA) and Textron (NYSE:TXT) are both involved in the air travel industry. Boeing plans to release its first-quarter earnings on April 28, while Texton will follow suit just a day later. Boeing's orders are increasing, and its shares are up 20.89 percent YTD. For Textron, an increase in business travel will suit the company well. The shares are already up 28.14 percent YTD.
• Cinemark Holdings (NYSE:CNK) is beginning to gain momentum after major box office losses over the last year. The earnings report will come later in the season. Investors should beware that it will take some time for liquidity to catch up, but a slate of new films will benefit the organization.
• Waste Connections (NYSE:WCN) will likely benefit from an increase in residential housing sales and construction. In fact, the whole sector does, but Waste Connections' YTD increase of 15.53 percent puts it in a good position ahead of its first-quarter earnings, which will take place on April 28.
• Honeywell (NYSE:HON) and Virtus (NASDAQ:VRTS) are also on CNBC Pro's list. For Honeywell, major cost reductions combined with an increasingly stable economy bode well before its earnings report on April 23. For Virtus, CNBC marks them as a value stock that's worth more than it currently has. The Apr. 28 earnings report could boost shares further.

Other companies have the potential for major EPS gains in the first quarter of the year. Some of the fastest-growing stocks are at the top of this list.

This includes Steel Dynamics (NASDAQ:STLD), a U.S.-based steel producer that could hit a YoY EPS increase of 139.8 percent, according to Zacks Consensus. The earnings call is coming on April 19, after market close.

The Container Store (NYSE:TCS) has also seen massive growth, and the earnings expectations reflect this. Last year's first-quarter EPS was $0.26, while analysts expect that number to hit around $0.57 in the same period this year. The estimated earnings date is May 4.

Deere & Co. (NYSE:DE) is expected to smash its earnings with an EPS of around $15. This comes after the company's net income is up to $4.6 billion–$5 billion—an increase of about $1 billion from a previous forecast. The earnings date is predicted to occur on May 21.