In Brief: Bank of Hawaii to Buy $22M of Convertibles

Bank of Hawaii has reached an agreement to acquire $22 million worth of convertible notes issued by Bank of Queensland as part of an agreement to set up a strategic alliance with the Australian bank.

Bank of Hawaii, the main banking unit of Pacific Century Financial Corp., said the two companies plan to share facilities, expertise, products, and services, as well as business leads and credit risks. Bank of Hawaii also plans to set up a South Pacific regional headquarters at Bank of Queensland's offices in Brisbane.

Richard Dahl, Bank of Hawaii's president, said the arrangement will allow his bank to strengthen its trans-Pacific franchise and round out its network offices in the Pacific by gaining a presence in Australia. Bank of Hawaii has branches on most major islands in the South Pacific, where it provides a range of financial services.

Compiled by James R. Kraus