Investors in the dollar-story sector shouldn't panic on the basis of Wal-Mart Stores' move last week to lower its fourth-quarter sales and profits guidance, Avondale Partners analyst Mark Montagna wrote Friday. The world's biggest retailer cited both food-stamp cuts and this winter's series of storms as hurting its business, but Montagna doesn't see Goodlettsville-based Dollar General or its main rival, Family Dollar, suffering in sympathy. If anything, he says, the winter storms will actually help dollar stores because they are typically closer to shoppers' homes. "This could drive higher average baskets, increased traffic, and increase the new customer count," Montagna says.

Dollar General (Ticker: DG) closed Friday at $56.32. The shares are down slightly over the past three months, but Montagna sees them climbing to $67 in the coming quarters.