According to Charlie Bilello, all 11 S&P 500 sector ETFs finished higher in 2025, marking a second straight year with no sector in the red, source: Charlie Bilello on X, Jan 2, 2026. Tech (XLK) led with a +25% return while Staples (XLP) lagged at +2% in 2025, source: Charlie Bilello on X, Jan 2, 2026. The XLK minus XLP performance spread was 23 percentage points for 2025, providing a clear snapshot of cyclical leadership that traders can quantify, source: calculation based on data from Charlie Bilello on X, Jan 2, 2026. For cross-asset context relevant to crypto, research shows BTC has exhibited higher correlation with U.S. equities since 2020, so traders may monitor whether broad equity strength aligns with crypto risk appetite, source: IMF blog “Crypto Prices Move More in Sync With Stocks,” Jan 2022.