Financial stocks got a modest lift Wednesday from February retail sales data, which came in better than analysts expected, yet another signal the economy is in recovery mode. The Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund XLF +0.49% , which measures financial stocks in the S&P 500 SPX +0.28% , was up 0.3%. Bank of America Corp. BAC +0.65% was up 0.4%. Citigroup Inc. C +0.64% was down 0.8%. J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.'s retail website Chase.com came under attack Tuesday and was unusable by customers for 90 minutes, according to reports. The site was hit by a "denial-of-service" attack, where hackers bombard websites and overload servers resulting in either slow or lost service. J.P. Morgan JPM +0.95% shares were down 0.1% in trading. The Wall Street Journal reported a hacking group calling itself al-Qassam Cyber Fighters took responsibility for the attack. The group has said its purpose is to hack into U.S. banks, protesting a video on YouTube it deems offensive to Islam. President Obama will meet with corporate leaders on Wednesday to discuss increasing cyber-attacks and concerns of potential involvement by China in some of the attacks. Credit Suisse Group AG's New York office will be getting trimmed in the next few months. The firm plans to cut 94 jobs in its main office in the Big Apple, according the Department of Labor website. The cuts are part of Credit Suisse's ongoing cost-cutting plan, said a spokesperson for the firm. It announced in the fourth-quarter report a 4.4 billion Swiss francs ($4.65 billion) cost-cutting plan by the end of 2015. Credit Suisse CS +1.93% shares were down 0.1%. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs is looking to lure away unhappy bankers from Morgan Stanley in an effort to bring over more talent to the storied Wall Street firm, according to a report in the New York Post. The firm is said to be talking to top traders and bankers who were told their pay, including cash bonuses, would be deferred over the next three years by Morgan Stanley. Goldman Sachs recently recruited Kate Richdale, a 13-year veteran of Morgan Stanley, to head up its Asia Pacific investment banking business. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. GS +1.21% and Morgan Stanley MS +0.77% shares were up 0.15%. Carlyle Group L.P. CG +0.77% has become the latest firm to lower the amount new investors must commit to be part of their buyout fund. According to The Wall Street Journal, investors with just $50,000 can now invest in Carlyle's buyout fund, which was formerly open only to wealthy individuals, pension funds, and others who could invest millions of dollars. Buyout funds are considered riskier investments than stocks and bonds but the returns could be more lucrative. Buyout funds typically takes on debt to finance the purchase of undervalued or struggling companies in hopes of turning them around and selling them for a profit. The Federal Reserve releases the second part of their stress tests on Thursday. Banks will find out whether their capital distribution plans for 2013 were accepted by the regulator
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