03:39 PM EDT, 10/21/2025 (MT Newswires) -- Tech stocks were mixed late Tuesday afternoon with the Technology Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLK) rising 0.1% and the SPDR S&P Semiconductor ETF (XSD) falling 1.7%.

The Philadelphia Semiconductor index decreased 0.6%.

In corporate news, Microsoft ( MSFT )-backed (MSFT) OpenAI hired 100 former investment bankers to help train its AI on building financial models as part of a confidential project named Mercury, Bloomberg reported. Microsoft ( MSFT ) shares rose 0.1%.

Apple (AAPL) may top Wall Street's estimates for fiscal Q4 sales amid robust demand for the iPhone 17 in the US and China, with the tech giant close to reaching $4 trillion in market capitalization, Wedbush Securities said. Apple shares added 0.3%.

CoreWeave ( CRWV ) won't increase its $9 billion offer for Core Scientific ( CORZ ) , Bloomberg reported, citing Chief Executive Officer Michael Intrator. CoreWeave ( CRWV ) shares fell 2.7%, while Core Scientific ( CORZ ) climbed 2.5%.

Meta Platforms ( META ) CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Snap (SNAP) CEO Evan Spiegel, and Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri will need to testify in the first trial on the adverse effects of social media on younger users, multiple media outlets reported Tuesday, citing a ruling from Judge Carolyn Kuhl of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Meta shares rose 0.1%, and Snap rose 1%.