Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (NYSE:HE) is reportedly mulling a sale of American Savings Bank, F.S.B., which it owns. The banking unit could be worth up to $800 million - a helpful sum for the Honolulu-based utility, which is named in dozens of lawsuits across state and federal courts. Many of the complaints accuse the utility of sparking the blazes that ultimately caused more than $5 billion of property damage.

When asked about the banking unit during Hawaiian Electric's earnings call this month, Chief Financial Officer Scott DeGhetto stuck with the company's position since analysts floated the sale option late last year: "My comments are consistent with what we've said in the past. We continue to not speculate on any strategic transactions or alternatives," he said.