Schaeffer's Daily Market Blog Features: Halliburton, American Eagle Outfitters, Wal-Mart Stores, Target, and The Children's Place.

CINCINNATI -- Among the stocks featured in the October 5 edition of Schaeffer's Market Blog are Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), American Eagle Outfitters (NASDAQ:AEOS), Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT), Target (NYSE:TGT), and The Children's Place (NASDAQ:PLCE). Schaeffer's Market Blog is just one of the many free market commentaries written every day 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. To have this report delivered to you free via email every day click on the following link and you'll also get an opportunity to win an iPod Nano. http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB13M&PAGE=1 .

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9:58 AM NYSE & NASDAQ New Highs/New Lows With Equity Scorecard

A daily feature of Schaeffer's Market Blog is a table of NYSE and NASDAQ concerns setting new highs or new lows and their Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard score. Two companies making the list today are Halliburton (NYSE:HAL) and American Eagle Outfitters (NASDAQ:AEOS).

10:18 WMT Releases Same-Store Sales Figures

Wal-Mart Stores (NYSE:WMT) released its same-store sales results earlier this morning. The retailer blamed tough year-ago comparisons and weak apparel sales for its 1.3-percent increase in September same-store sales, which came in below the Street's estimates. The company noted that pharmacy sales were strong, as were sales for food and other consumables. While clothing sales came in below expectations in September, WMT is hopeful for a rebound during the holidays. The retailer's total September sales reached $31.21 billion, a rise of 11.8 percent. The same-store sales figure was not a great surprise, as the company lowered its forecast yesterday. For October, WMT sees same-store sales of two to four percent.

10:43 AM More Same-Store Sales Results

There are more highlights to this morning's same-store sales reports. One of those is J.C. Penney (JCP), which reported an increase of 8.7 percent. Analysts expected the retailer to post a same-store sales increase of 5.2 percent. The retailer attributed the better-than-expected results to gains in fine jewelry sales, children's, and men's. JCP also upped its third-quarter earnings forecast by four cents to $1.11 per share, which is two cents better than the consensus estimate.

Target (NYSE:TGT) also posted better-than-expected same-store sales, as September sales increased 6.7 percent. The Street expected same-store sales of five percent. The company also upped its third-quarter earnings forecast, but did not tell by how much. The current estimate for TGT's earnings stands at 53 cents per share.

The best performance came from companies focusing on teen and children's clothing. Children's Place (NASDAQ:PLCE) saw same-store sales soar 20 percent, topping the estimate for an increase of 14.6 percent. Guess (GES) moved 11.3 percent higher, while the consensus looked for 4.3 percent. Finally, Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) outpaced forecasts for a five percent increase by logging an increase of 10 percent. The teen retailer dropped its highest prices on denim and limited its inventory, which it gives as reasons for the stronger-than-expected sales.

For more information on these stocks or any stock in your portfolio, feel free to visit our Schaeffer's Equity Scorecard feature. Click here to read all of today's Market Blog: http://www.schaeffersresearch.com/redirect.aspx?CODE=PROB13C&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 .