Almost 75% of the total S&P 500 members have already reported earnings for the first quarter. The results, surprisingly for analysts and investors alike, haven’t turned out as bad as expected. Many of these companies have outperformed the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both earnings and revenues.The widespread beat during the quarter can be explained by conservative estimates after analysts lowered their expectations following a disappointing fourth-quarter 2015. The recent lowering in the exchange value of the U.S. dollar is also helping sales and profits.Coming to the consumer sector, the space is faring well this earnings season. Backed by a strong manufacturing sector, the consumer industry reported modest growth in the first quarter. Lower gas prices, an improving job scenario and increasing consumer confidence came as economic boons, and did the trick for these stocks.Energy prices have seemingly bounced from a near-term bottom, but are still at low levels. Moreover, in spite of being a cautious shopper, consumers have reduced their debt loads and have started to spend more, which is proving beneficial for these companies.We saw leading names like Estee Lauder Inc. EL, Altria Group Inc. MO and The Coca-Cola Company KO deliver solid Q1 results recently. Despite currency headwinds and sluggishness in the emerging markets, these consumer staples behemoths’ bottom lines beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate, thereby bringing the sector into the limelight. Similarly, Columbia Sports Inc. COLM, Hanesbrands Inc. HBI, Capella Education Company CPLA were among the outperforming consumer discretionary stocks that benefited from bold consumers who spent more on luxury items and education.However, declining brand loyalty, fierce competition, changing food and beverage preferences and shifting of consumer spending to tech products and healthcare products affected Pilgrims Pride Corporation PPC, Philip Morris International Inc. PM, Reynolds American Inc. RAI and Boston Beer Inc. SAM . These players were unable to meet consensus during the first quarter.Let us now see how the consumer stocks that are slated to report early next week are poised.Tyson Foods Inc. TSN is slated to report second-quarter fiscal 2016 results on May 9. The Earnings ESP for Tyson Foods is 6.25% and it carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). Last quarter, the company posted a positive earnings surprise of 32.18%.The company reported positive surprises in two of the trailing four quarters, with an average positive surprise of 2.84%.Tyson Foods’ regular product innovations and strong momentum in most business lines have been driving sales for some time now. Further, the general shift of demand from red meat to low-calorie chicken and processed chicken products among health conscious consumers is boosting sales in its chicken segment. Such factors should have a favorable impact on its fiscal second-quarter results.Our previous article shows that its uncertain if Tyson will beat earnings this quarter. However, estimates changed thereafter and we are confident about an earnings beat.Another consumer stock company The Walt Disney Company DIS is slated to report second-quarter fiscal 2016 results after the closing bell on May 10. Disney’s Earnings ESP is -0.71%. In the previous quarter, the company had delivered a positive earnings surprise of 13.2%. The Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) company surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in each of the past four quarters, with an average beat of 7.72%. Let’s see whether the company is able to keep its earnings streak alive this quarter as well.For some time now, declining subscriber count and higher programming costs have been a cause of concern for investors. Disney’s cash cow, ESPN, has been under immense pressure as the Pay-TV landscape continues to change owing to the migration of subscribers to online TV.Electronic Arts Inc. EA is set to report fourth-quarter fiscal 2016 results on May 10. Our proven model shows that Electronic Arts is likely to beat estimates because it has the right combination of two key ingredients. The combination of Electronic Arts’ Zacks Rank #3 and Earnings ESP of +6.67% makes us confident in looking for an earnings beat this quarter.In the previous quarter, the company reported a positive earnings surprise of 1.76%. On average, EA has delivered a positive earnings surprise of 65.83% in the last four quarters.We believe that EA’s strong games portfolio, strength in new consoles and continuing growth in the mobile market are key growth catalysts. Moreover, strong growth in digital sales coupled with cost optimization initiatives will be beneficial going forward. This apart, the company seems well positioned to benefit from the business transition that was undertaken to meet the needs of the evolving video game market.Stay tuned! Check later on our full write-up on earnings releases of these stocks.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 >>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 DISNEY WALT (DIS): Free Stock Analysis Report BOSTON BEER INC (SAM): Free Stock Analysis Report COCA COLA CO (KO): Free Stock Analysis Report ESTEE LAUDER (EL): Free Stock Analysis Report TYSON FOODS A (TSN): Free Stock Analysis Report PILGRIMS PRIDE (PPC): Free Stock Analysis Report CAPELLA EDUCATN (CPLA): Free Stock Analysis Report COLUMBIA SPORTS (COLM): Free Stock Analysis Report HANESBRANDS INC (HBI): Free Stock Analysis Report ALTRIA GROUP (MO): Free Stock Analysis Report PHILIP MORRIS (PM): Free Stock Analysis Report REYNOLDS AMER (RAI): Free Stock Analysis Report ELECTR ARTS INC (EA): Free Stock Analysis Report To read this article on Zacks.com click here. Zacks Investment Research