Attack the Week (ATW)

November 10, 2024

Sunday Thoughts

I love plants. We have quite a selection of indoor and outdoor plants, but I clearly haven’t been blessed with the green touch of a master gardener. Many plants have fallen victim to my care, mostly because I overwater them. Right in my lounge is a corn plant, which continuously shows dried-out leaf tips. I have tried it all: re-potted, re-soiled, different feeders, and watering schedules, but nothing. I get it; certain plants just need to settle into the environment, and if they don’t like it, they will let you know. Another plant looked rather unwell when I bought it but is now fully blossoming and exploding in all directions.

My next plant challenge started a short while ago when I bought a Japanese white pine bonsai. It’s beautiful but not the easiest plant to maintain. Luckily, they are quite hardy, and the one I got (similar to the picture below) has already been pruned and is now ready for its winter dormancy before I need to be in active maintenance mode next year. Something struck me when I bought it from a bonsai nursery when the old man growing and looking after his seedlings told me “One thing to remember is, this is not just a plant, but a way of life.”

Source: The World Wide Web

The term “bonsai” is derived from two Japanese words: “bon,” meaning a shallow pot or container, and “sai,” meaning plant or tree. Though bonsai is most closely associated with Japan, the art actually originates from China, where it was practiced as early as the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD). The practice was later refined and popularized by the Japanese, who introduced it as an art form during the Kamakura period (1185–1333 AD).

The goal of bonsai is to grow a miniature version of a full-sized tree, creating a balanced and harmonious representation of nature. The process requires an enormous sense of detail and care. Researching a few online forums would indeed reveal the passion and length people go when pursuing this “way of life”.

There are many parallels we can transfer into our personal and investing lives. One is patience, which I always use as a guiding mantra. Nothing good happens overnight. In this place, we educate and build resistance and long-term strategies for growth. Similarly, we don’t strive for perfection but for balance while embracing uncertainty.

If you are ready to plant the seed and grow, consider joining the pack.

Another good reminder that investing is a long-time race is learning from the old masters. I would urge you to listen to the below Stan Druckenmiller interview and judge for yourself. It’s outstanding.

Let’s now read Macro D’s latest musings before we analyse the upcoming weekly calendar. We then check out the 10 most important charts for the coming trading sessions and finish with the asset allocation model and its latest output.

Let’s go!