Stocks zig-zagged, turning higher in a choppy session on Wednesday as investors reacted to a barrage of headlines from Europe, including proposals for joint euro zone bonds and an Austrian parliamentary committee's failure to pass changes to a bailout fund.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 20.96 points, or 0.19 percent, to 11,126.81. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> gained 4.60 points, or 0.39 percent, to 1,177.47. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> gained 18.90 points, or 0.75 percent, to 2,551.05.

(Reuters Messaging: edward.krudy.reuters.com@reuters.net)