01:11 PM EDT, 03/12/2026 (MT Newswires) -- Tech stocks were lower Thursday afternoon, with the State Street Technology Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLK) falling 1.2% and the State Street SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) dropping 2.9%.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index slumped 2.6%.

In corporate news, the US Department of Defense may continue to use Amazon ( AMZN )-backed (AMZN) Anthropic's AI tools beyond the previously planned six-month phase-out if deemed critical to national security, Reuters reported, citing an internal memo. The report said the memo, signed by Pentagon Chief Information Officer Kirsten Davies, states that exemptions may be granted in "rare and extraordinary circumstances" for mission-critical operations where no viable alternative exists. Amazon ( AMZN ) shares were down 1.1%.