NASDAQ

The market looks very much paused at the brink of a breakout here. The question is: up or down?

The bulls are expecting a sharp rebound in GDP from Q1, which they claim was artificially low due the government shutdown. They point to 2018's solid 3% economic growth, claiming the US is humming along fine and about to get a shot of adrenaline once America and China announce an end to their trade war. In their eyes, the S&P is poised to rocket higher once it punches vigorously above 2820.

The bears see a topping out of a classic bear market rally, one that has been propelled by no convincing fundamentals — only central bank jawboning/easing and continued massive buyback programs (plus this week's rare Quad Witch options expiration). They see an extremely overbought market, with stocks ready to break down to new lows for the year.

Which way will thing break?