AST Research Reports Sharply Higher Earnings : Computers: Irvine company says its second-quarter profits will exceed $7 million, or about 60 cents a share. Last year it had a loss.

AST Research Inc., continuing on a financial rebound despite a personal computer industry slump, said Thursday that its sales and earnings were sharply higher during the latest quarter.

AST said earnings for its second quarter ended Dec. 29 will top $7 million, contrasted with a loss of $8.9 million in the year-earlier quarter. Sales will be up 17% to $130 million, from $110.9 million a year earlier.

The Irvine personal computer maker announced preliminary quarterly results Thursday and said final figures will be released after Jan. 22.

Wall Street analysts generally had been expecting a strong showing from AST, but not nearly as good as the company announced. The company released the figures after the stock market closed. Its stock closed unchanged at $11.125.

Lawrence Harris, an analyst with Bateman Eichler, Hill Richards in Los Angeles, said he had expected AST to report earnings per share of about 30 cents for the quarter, but AST said its per-share earnings actually will be about 60 cents.

“It’s a good showing,” Harris said, adding that other leading PC makers such as Apple and Compaq have reported disappointing financial forecasts.

“Apple and Compaq and some of the larger PC companies are more likely to be influenced by overall trends in the industry,” Harris said. “AST is smaller and they can continue to grow.”

A year ago, AST’s financial picture was anything but positive.

The computer maker lost $7.9 million in the year ended in June, 1989. AST laid off 120 employees--or 6% of its work force--a year ago. After six months of losses in late 1988 and early 1989, AST has posted higher profits in each of its last three quarters.

“The dramatic upswing in earnings performance marks a significant breakthrough for the company,” said AST President Safi U. Qureshey. “More important, our earnings during the past six months highlight AST’s increasing contrast with the overall performance of the computer industry.”

Qureshey attributed the improved results, in part, to brisk sales of AST’s line of PCs that are powered by Intel Corp.’s high-performance 80386 microprocessor. He said the company has benefited from the industry’s switch to a new generation of faster PCs.

AST has reduced its production costs by consolidating its manufacturing and distribution operations at a new Fountain Valley facility that opened last year, he said. Last month, AST moved its corporate headquarters to the Irvine Spectrum.