Orange County

AST Will Report Earnings: South Korea’s Samsung Corp. might be watching closely Thursday when AST Research Inc. releases its fiscal second-quarter earnings report. AST reported a $39.9-million net loss on revenue of $495.4 million for its first quarter ended Sept. 30. That contrasted with a profit of $8.2 million on revenue of $514.4 million for the same period a year earlier. The company’s stock, which has traded as high as $33 a share in the past year, has tumbled to $15 in recent days. AST officials have declined to comment on a recent trade publication report saying electronics giant Samsung is interested in acquiring a 20% stake in the Irvine-based computer maker. Stock analysts speculate that AST could use a cash infusion to pay off high-interest loans.