Stocks hit session highs midmorning on Tuesday, led by bank and industrial shares, as a tick down in crude prices shifted investor attention to a stronger U.S. economy.

The Dow Jones industrial average <.DJI> gained 80.27 points, or 0.66 percent, to 12,170.30. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index <.SPX> rose 8.15 points, or 0.62 percent, to 1,318.28. The Nasdaq Composite Index <.IXIC> added 16.60 points, or 0.60 percent, to 2,762.23.