Buoyed by strong stock markets, which underpinned active trading and rising assets, the U.S. retail brokerage sector posted strong results in the first half, Fitch Ratings says. In a report published Tuesday, the rating agency noted that retail brokers and wealth managers saw net revenues rise 19% on a year-over-year basis in the first half. “Solid client asset gathering, resilient equity markets, and healthy advisor productivity supported operating performance,” Fitch said. Additionally, trading activity was “robust” in the first half amid elevated market volatility, it noted. Merger and acquisition activity was also active in the first half, Fitch said.