AST Research Inc. said it expects to...

AST Research Inc. said it expects to report lower than anticipated sales and earnings for its current quarter, which ends Sept. 30. AST President Safi Qureshey said the company expects first-quarter sales between $100 million and $110 million. Although that would represent a 27% to 40% increase over the same quarter a year ago, it would be below some Wall Street estimates. “Earnings will also be lower than anticipated due to the sales level, higher average prices for component costs and increased advertising and promotional expenses,” Qureshey said. Irvine-based AST is spending about $2.2 million on a television advertising campaign to promote its personal computer products during the Summer Olympic Games.