AST Has Another Losing Quarter, but Relief in Sight : Earnings: Irvine computer maker couples latest dose of bad news with word that financing from Samsung is finally official.

AST Research Inc., trying to stanch a yearlong flow of red ink, said Thursday that it expects to record a loss of $30 million to $33 million for the last three months but that relief from its financial woes is arriving next week.

The Irvine computer maker, which will have lost about $100 million for its fiscal year ended July 1, said that financing finally has been arranged for Samsung Electronics Co. to acquire a 40% stake in AST by Monday. The financing will come mainly from several notes the South Korean electronics giant is selling in European financial markets.

The deal will give the world’s fifth-largest computer manufacturer $250 million to help it repay overdue debts and set it on a more financially secure footing. It also will give Samsung six directors on AST’s recently expanded 13-member board.

AST previously said it expected a loss for the quarter, but did not specify how much it would be.

Despite the loss, AST said that sales continue to grow over last year and that fourth-quarter revenue should reach $660 million. The company said it will report its earnings formally on Thursday.

The large quarterly loss is a setback to AST’s efforts to recoup after losing $39.9 million in its fiscal first quarter. Until the last quarter, it had been improving as it posted losses of $22.3 million and $7.2 million for the second and third quarters, respectively.

Safi U. Qureshey, the company’s chief executive, had blamed the poor performance on manufacturing problems and originally had predicted a return to profitability early this year.

Instead, the continuing hemorrhaging drove AST into a deal with Samsung last February. Under the terms of the agreement, Samsung will acquire 40% of AST’s stock for $378 million.

Samsung will spend $128 million to acquire 5.82 million shares from existing shareholders in a tender offer at $22 a share. It also will pay an additional $250 million for newly issued stock.

AST’s losses had put it in default on several major loans from its bankers, but company executives said Thursday that they obtained waivers based on the proceeds expected from Samsung’s investment.

AST’s stock climbed 38 cents a share to close Thursday at $16.125 a share in Nasdaq trading.