With the booming stock market and the reforms on brokerage business, Shanghai-based Orient Securities, China's eighth biggest broker by total assets, on Monday reported a net profit of 551 million yuan (HK$536.8 million) for the first six months, versus a loss of 27 million yuan a year earlier and a loss of 296 million yuan for the whole of 2005, reports The Standard.   Beijing has signaled it is eager to develop the market as a key fundraising venue for large companies. Bank of China listed in Shanghai this month after the country's biggest initial public offering.   Beijing is pushing forward reforms to expand the scope of brokerages' business, allowing them more room to manage clients' assets. They will be allowed to trade on margin on behalf of clients from August 1.   Orient, one of 67 brokerages designated to trade on China's interbank market, is the first to announce first-half results. Analysts said it was likely to be typical of the industry.