The Dow industrials and the Nasdaq composite turned negative on Monday afternoon as investors locked in some profits in cautious trading before a busy earnings week.

Communications equipment was the top drag on the Nasdaq 100 <.NDX> while industrials <.GSPI> weighed down the S&P 500.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> shed 14.97 points, or 0.15 percent, to 9,849.97. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 0.69 points, or 0.06 percent, to 1,072.18. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> dropped 9.88 points, or 0.46 percent, to 2,129.40.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)