As we ring in the new year, Maybank Kim Eng’s research team digs deep to sift through the best themes on our clients’ minds. Malaysia has just implemented movement control order 2.0 so we ask our strategists if the economic cost of MCO 2.0 will be greater than the last one. Commodity prices have also been in focus and like crude oil, palm oil prices have rallied since 3Q 2020. Will tight supplies keep CPO prices elevated and when will the cycle reverse? In the Philippines, it was one of the hardest hit economies last year but as fortunes reverse, we now see resilience and evaluate the value plays that will stand out this year. Lastly, our Thai utilities team shares on their top picks for renewables and ESG investing.