BANKING & FINANCE - Aug. 31, 1996

Home Savings to Sell Arizona Branches: H.F. Ahmanson & Co. said its Home Savings of America subsidiary agreed to sell its four Arizona branches to First National Bank of Arizona, a unit of Bancorp Hawaii Inc. Terms were not disclosed. Irwindale-based Home Savings, the nation’s largest thrift, said the sale is part of its strategy to concentrate on gathering assets in its key markets of California, Texas and Florida. The four branches have deposits of about $270 million. The transaction is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 1997. Bancorp Hawaii, of Honolulu, has assets of about $13.7 billion. Home Savings of America has assets of $49.5 billion and deposits in excess of $33 billion.