AUTOS

* Tenneco Inc., maker of Monroe shock absorbers and Walker mufflers, said it might buy an equity stake of as much as 30% in a Japanese auto-parts maker as a springboard for expansion in Asia. The Greenwich, Conn.-based company is in talks with four unidentified Japanese suppliers about an alliance, said Mark Frissora, senior vice president and general manager. Tenneco, which earns 5% of its revenue from Asia, said it is aiming to more than double its share of the Japanese shock absorber market to 20%.