The S&P cut early gains to turn negative on Friday, putting it on track to extend a losing streak to four straight sessions.

The index rose earlier in the session, and still remains on pace for its strongest quarter in more than two years.

The S&P 500 remains up 2.8 percent in March and ahead almost 12 percent for the first quarter. If could be the best start to the year since 1998 and the index's best quarter since the third period of 2009.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was up 8.02 points, or 0.06 percent, at 13,153.84. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 1.17 points, or 0.08 percent, at 1,402.11. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 14.38 points, or 0.46 percent, at 3,080.98.

(Reporting by Ryan Vlastelica; editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)