Stocks pared losses on Tuesday, with the Nasdaq turning positive, led by the biotechnology sector a day after strong earnings from Amgen . Shares of Amgen jumped 3 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 25.09 points, or 0.28 percent, to 9,083.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> fell 4.15 points, or 0.42 percent, to 978.03. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 4.41 points, or 0.22 percent, to 1,972.30.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)