The titan formed through the merger of two large brokerages said its profit surged in the first half of 2026 as it leveraged its massive scale to cultivate high-margin servicesimage credit: Bamboo WorksKey Takeaways: Guotai Haitong said it expects to report its recurring net profit soared as much as 171% in the first half of this year The company’s breakout performance shows that mega brokerages formed through a government-led sector consolidation stand to benefit nicely from their super-size State-directed corporate matchmaking often breeds bloated corporate giants that lose out to leaner, more agile rivals, especially when the newly merged entities…