BANKING

B of A Is Step Closer to Buying Hawaiian Thrift: BankAmerica said it signed a definitive agreement to buy H. F. Holdings, parent of Honfed Bank in Hawaii. No price was disclosed, but previous estimates have put the price at close to $200 million. Honfed is owned by a partnership that included former Treasury Secretary William E. Simon and Los Angeles lawyer Gerald Parsky. Simon recently decided to end his business relationship with Parsky, reportedly due to conflicts in style between the two men. The sale of Honfed is expected to give the investment group a hefty profit.