The S&P 500 index ended up slightly on Tuesday after paring steep losses late in the session as investors bought beaten-down shares.

Based on the latest available data, the Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> fell 22.82 points, or 0.23 percent, to end unofficially at 10,043.75. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> was up just 0.38 of a point, or 0.04 percent, to finish unofficially at 1,074.03. But the Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> slipped 2.60 points, or 0.12 percent, to close unofficially at 2,210.95.

(Reporting by Caroline Valetkevitch; Editing by Jan Paschal)