Dow Jones rallies while S&P 500 faces headwinds—here's what it signals for next year. The divergence between these two major indices tells an interesting story about market sentiment heading into 2026. When large-cap tech stocks stumble but blue-chip industrials hold steady, investors face a critical question: where does capital flow from here? This market split isn't random. It reflects shifting expectations about interest rates, inflation trajectories, and corporate earnings resilience. For traders monitoring broader asset classes, including crypto markets, these traditional equity patterns often precede significant shifts in risk appetite. The question becomes whether this performance gap widens or narrows as 2026 unfolds—and what that means for diversification strategies across different asset categories.