Stocks recovered to reapproach session highs in choppy trade on Tuesday as U.S. equities at 12-year lows ignited a search for beaten-down shares, while energy shares rose along with oil prices.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> rose 76.39 points, or 1.13 percent, to 6,839.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> added 8.66 points, or 1.24 percent, to 709.48. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> was up 23.50 points, or 1.78 percent, at 1,346.35.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Jan Paschal)