The Dow briefly turned higher and the S&P 500 and Nasdaq pared losses before reversing course and heading lower again on Tuesday after comments by French President Nicolas Sarkozy on euro zone proposals.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> was down 45.22 points, or 0.39 percent, at 11,437.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was down 6.47 points, or 0.54 percent, at 1,198.02. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was down 19.27 points, or 0.75 percent, at 2,535.93.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Kenneth Barry)