The Australian Stock Exchange has put struggling department store Myer in a trading halt, after the leaking of what was reported to be figures showing a further deterioration in its quarterly sales.

The Australian Financial Review reported on Friday that total sales at Myer - which this year for the first time since its listing did not report its first-quarter sales figures - fell 5.5 per cent in the three months to October 31.

Myer later disputed this figure, eventually revealing its total sales had fallen 4.8 per cent.

The ASX put Myer in a trading halt on Friday morning. Credit:Peter Rae

The report suggested the decline in revenue was significant enough to trigger a fall in underlying earnings that would require Myer's board to issue a profit warning.