What happened in China On Sunday March 15, 2026, Ant Group's subsidiary Wealthiness and Prosperity Holding completed the required reporting procedures with Chinese regulators for high-value overseas investment projects, clearing the final structural hurdle for its acquisition of Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group. A joint filing published after trading hours on Monday March 16 confirmed the clearance. Markets responded immediately: Bright Smart's shares soared as much as 82% on Tuesday morning to HK$16.88 ($2.76), giving the company a market value of about US$3.6 billion, before paring gains to trade 70% higher as of 10:45 p.m. ET — the highest level since July 2025. The deal itself was agreed in April 2025, when Ant Group agreed to acquire a 50.55% stake in Bright Smart Securities & Commodities Group Ltd. Bright Smart's chairman, Yip Mow Lum, conditionally agreed at that time to sell his 50.55% stake in the company. The…