As Vaccines and 5G Come to Pharmacies Near You, Walgreens and Verizon Are Stocks to Watch

December 17, 2020

2 min Read

New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, February 2020: pedestrians are seen in the French Quarter at night outside the iconic Walgreens building as the city celebrates Mardi Gras.

Wendy Van / Getty Images

Commitment to Our Readers

GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.

20 Years
Helping You Live Richer

Reviewed
by Experts

Trusted by
Millions of Readers

Verizon Business (NYSE:VZ) and Walgreens Boots Alliance (NASDAQ: WBA) yesterday announced a multi-year strategic partnership to bring 5G to more than 9,000 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations nationwide. In addition to delivering high-speed networking connectivity via fixed 5G cards, the service provider promises to help Walgreens roll out wide-scale digital upgrades.

See: Companies That Exceeded Expectations Last QuarterFind: Best and Worst Deals at CVS, Walgreens and Rite Aid

The Network as a Service agreement is Verizon’s largest yet. “This is the largest, fully customized, Network as a Service solution for a partner on this scale,” said Tami Erwin, Chief Executive Officer, Verizon Business in a press release. “Working closely with Walgreens to understand their focus areas, we’ve tailored an offering that will meet their technology needs of today, and quickly scale to offer a rolling deployment of 5G in Walgreens locations, next-gen in-store experiences for customers and employees, and future-proofed backend operations to enhance efficiencies.”

Imagine not buying @Walgreens stock at $35 a month ago. Gonna have a huge 2021. $wba
— A Rekt Man (@REKTstonkMAN) December 13, 2020

In addition to the technology upgrades, Walgreens is also playing a crucial role in administration of the COVID-19 vaccines. The pharmacy is coordinating with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deliver on-site vaccines at long-term care facilities and nursing homes. Walgreens, along with competitor CVS, is also looking to hire tens of thousands of employees to help administer the vaccine to at-risk populations right now and, presumably, to the general public in their stores after the new year.

See: Will Medicare Cover the Coronavirus Vaccine?Find: The Biggest Business Moves of 2020

Walgreens’ shareholders show optimism, with stocks opening at $40.84, up .40 cents from yesterday’s close. Verizon, on the other hand, continues hovering between $59 and $60 – still an upward trend but not by nearly as much.

Verizon remains a solid buy due to its high-yield dividends and “services that are central to the information age,” The Motley Fool reported today, while also touting lesser known telecom companies like Lumen Technologies (NYSE: LUMN), formerly CenturyLink. Digital and healthcare are teaming up in multiple ways this year – here are 6 more telehealth stocks to invest in right now.

More From GOBankingRates