Asia and the Era of Activism Part 2: 2021 Activist Outlook and How to Optimize Returns

“Only when the tide goes out do you discover who's been swimming naked.” ― Warren Buffett

The year that is 2020 has been unprecedented and created unique conditions, be it corporates taking greater unilateral decisions in areas of governance and strategy or investors reducing their engagement with corporates as they focused on pandemic volatility impacted portfolio management. The end result was limited interaction between stakeholders, leaving actions and opinions unchecked or under-appreciated. In 2021 we expect investors to focus on corporates, perhaps resulting in activism on a scale never seen before.

We identify four key themes which we expect to see emerge as the world adapts to a new normal. These themes will be prevalent in an environment where activists who delayed their campaigns due to Covid now look to create an impact in the Asia Pacific region. Our view on ESG, we predict, will prove to be one of the key defining points for investors and corporates alike.