The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> briefly turned positive on Thursday as resurgent crude oil prices lifted energy shares, but both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq held near break-even due to caution about earnings.

U.S. front-month crude rose 2.5 percent, or nearly $2, to $77.02 a barrel, following a government report that showed large declines in fuel stocks last week.

The S&P energy index <.GSPE> was up 0.9 percent.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> slipped 6.80 points, or 0.07 percent, to 10,009.06, after briefly rising almost 3 points to reach a session high of 10,018.73. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> declined 1.24 points, or 0.11 percent, to 1,090.78. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> fell 6.14 points, or 0.28 percent, to 2,166.09.

(Reporting by Ellis Mnyandu; Editing by Jan Paschal)