AST ResearchA month after its initial public...

AST Research

A month after its initial public offering, AST Research Inc., an Irvine maker of IBM-compatible computer accessories, had good news for its new stockholders: Second-quarter profits increased 280% to $4.2 million from the $1.5 million recorded in the like period a year ago.

Quarterly revenues for the three-month period ended Dec 31. increased a dramatic 259% to $32.3 million from $12.5 million.

Net income for the first half of fiscal 1985 rose to $6.5 million, compared to $2.5 million earned during the same six-month period a year ago. Revenues for the first six months of nearly tripled to $58.3 million from $20 million recorded in the previous year.

Safi Qureshey, AST Research president, credited the firm’s robust earnings and revenues to the strong performance of newly introduced accessories for the IBM PC/AT and Apple computers.