US stocks fell sharply on Wednesday afternoon after a report that Swiss authorities and Credit Suisse were holding talks aimed at stabilizing the troubled lender. Bloomberg cited people familiar with the matter as saying that CS leaders and government officials have discussed options ranging from public statements of support to a potential liquidity backstop. Ideas also included a spinoff of the Swiss unit or an alliance with rival UBS Group AG, the report said, adding that those involved warned it was unclear what measures would be taken. The Dow Jones Industrial Average DJIA was down 331 points,…