U.S. stocks briefly extended gains on Tuesday following a solid U.S. Treasury 3-year note auction, as concerns over a possible rise in borrowing costs waned.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> dropped 14.51 points, or 0.17 percent, to 8,749.98, after briefly nudging into positive territory. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 1.27 points, or 0.14 percent, to 940.41. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 13.98 points, or 0.76 percent, to 1,856.38.

(Reporting by Rodrigo Campos; Editing by Jan Paschal)