Schaeffer's Daily Market Blog Features MicroStrategy, Alcoa, Ixia, Affymetrix, and Take-Two Interactive Software.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the January 6 edition of Schaeffer's Market Blog are MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR), Alcoa (NYSE:AA), Ixia (NASDAQ:XXIA), Affymetrix (NASDAQ:AFFX), and Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO). Schaeffer's Market Blog is just one of the many free market commentaries written everyday at www.SchaeffersResearch.com - the home of Bernie Schaeffer and Schaeffer's Investment Research. The Market Blog is written throughout every trading day by Schaeffer's financial analysts and traders. They are quick insights to the day's most notable market activity from an options perspective. For additional information about this report or to have it delivered to you free via email every day click on the following link. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB12M&PAGE=1 .

Schaeffer's Market Blog for Friday, January 6, 2006:

Below are just a few of today's Market Blog entries. Click here to read all of today's Market Blog. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1 .

12:09 PM MicroStrategy Up Sharply on Broker Action

I wrote about business software company MicroStrategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) earlier this week, noting that it caught my eye based on its strong performance. Well, today has turned out to be another special one for the stock. This morning, First Albany raised its target for MSTR to $114 from $98. The stock has tacked on more than nine percent today in response. It's trading at 95.95, up from last night's close of 87.72. After its 16-percent gain this week, and with the psychologically important round-number 100 level just above, it makes sense that MSTR might pause here. However, I'm certainly not betting against the stock.

11:46 AM Heavy Call Activity on Alcoa

Alcoa (NYSE:AA) saw a significant amount of call activity yesterday at its out-of-the-money February 32.50 call (AA BZ). More than 10,300 AA BZ contracts traded. Overnight, open interest jumped from 429 to 10,577, suggesting that almost all the activity translated to new open interest. Although there were many trades throughout the day, most of the volume came in several large block trades just before 10:00 a.m. eastern time yesterday morning. Ten trades, totaling 8,000 contracts, crossed the tape at 0.30. This was at the ask price, suggesting the trades were all bullish purchases. The company is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings after the market close Monday. AA is currently trading at 30.16.

11:27 AM Ixia Lowers Outlook, Receives Numerous Downgrades

According to Yahoo!Finance, Ixia (NASDAQ:XXIA) provides technology and systems that allow customers to test and measure the performance, functionality, and conformance of Internet protocol equipment and networks. Last night after the market close, XXIA lowered its outlook for the fourth quarter. The company now sees earnings of eight to nine cents per share versus the Reuters consensus estimate of 13 cents per share. XXIA sees revenues coming in at $37-38 million, versus consensus estimates of $41.6 million. This morning, the shares suffered three analyst downgrades from Ferris Baker, Needham, and JMP Securities. At last check, XXIA was trading 22 percent lower at $11.63.

11:09 AM Affymetrix Lowers Revenue Outlook

Last night after the market close, Affymetrix (NASDAQ:AFFX) stated that its fourth-quarter revenue will be $15 million lower than its previous forecast of $123 million. The company said that it has been adversely affected by low fourth-quarter instrument sales and delays in processing genotyping under a services contract. Company C.E.O. Stephen Fodor further commented that AFFX is experiencing "growing pains as it both innovates and commercializes new products in high potential markets." This negative development has sent shares of AFFX more than eight percent lower to $42.95 in today's trading activity.

10:09 AM Take-Two Interactive Software Stages a Comeback

Take-Two Interactive Software (NASDAQ:TTWO) was one of the big losers in after-hours trading yesterday. According to the Dow Jones Newswire, at 6:30 p.m. eastern time the video game software maker's stock was trading at 16.95, down more than eight percent from its regular session close of 18.47. The reason? The company's fourth-quarter earnings fell sharply. Furthermore, TTWO cut its first-quarter earnings outlook to a net loss. Disappointing holiday sales and delays in product launches were to blame. However, the stock has staged quite a comeback. It opened this morning at 17.67 (down just 4.3 percent). TTWO is currently at 18.20, down 1.5 percent.

The above are just a few of today's Daily Market Blog entries. Click here to read all of today's Daily Market Blog. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB1C&PAGE=1 .

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About Schaeffer's Investment Research (www.SchaeffersResearch.com)

Schaeffer's Investment Research, founded by Bernie Schaeffer in 1981, is a financial information and trading resources company. It publishes Bernie Schaeffer's Option Advisor, the nation's leading options subscription newsletter. The firm's contrarian approach focuses on stocks with technical and fundamental trends that run counter to investor expectations. The firm's website, http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com , is recognized as one of the leading information sources for stock and options traders and was cited as the top options website by both Forbes and Barron's. Click here for more details about Schaeffer's trading methodology: http://www.SchaeffersResearch.com/method .