AST Research Inc. said its board of...

AST Research Inc. said its board of directors has authorized the company to buy up to 1.5 million shares of its common stock in open-market purchases. If all 1.5 million shares are obtained, they would represent about 13% of the 11.4 million shares outstanding. “I believe our stock, at the current level, is an attractive investment for AST,” said Safi Qureshey, president of the Irvine supplier of computer enhancement products. AST stock closed Thursday at $12 a share, up $1.125 for the day, in over-the-counter trading.