While most other retailers will have their tails between their legs today, Aeropostale (ARO: sentiment, chart, options) stands out in the elite.

The titan of trendy clothes this morning announced that its sales at stores open at least 1 year rose 12% in December. Analysts, on average, had predicted same-store sales to decline 4.2%. Meanwhile, net sales for the 5 weeks ended Jan. 3 muscled 25% higher to $392.7 million.

As if that weren't enough to brag about, the company said that it now expects fourth-quarter earnings in the range of 90 cents to 92 cents per share. Previously, ARO forecast earnings of 84 cents to 90 cents per share. The Street, according to Thomson Reuters, estimates fourth-quarter profit of 87 cents per share.

Ahead of the bell, the shares of ARO are poised to take the unbeaten path into the black, trading moderately higher than yesterday's close of $19.73. The stock is now positioned to close only its second week atop resistance at its 10-week moving average since mid-September 2008.

Taking a quick peek at December same-store sales results for some of ARO's sector peers, we find...

• Barnes & Noble (BKS) declined 7.7%
• Chico's FAS (CHS) declined 12.4%
• J.C. Penney (JCP) declined 8.1%
• Kohl's (KSS) declined 1.4%
• Nordstrom (JWN) declined 10.6%
• Ross Stores (ROST) same-store sales were flat
• Target (TGT) declined 4.1%
• Macy's (M) declined 4%
• American Eagle (AEO) declined 17%
• Abercrombie & Fitch (ANF) declined 24%
• Dillard's (DDS) declined 5%
• Gap (GPS) declined 14%
• Wal-Mart (WMT) - declined 1.7%