Robeco may fetch more than 2 billion euros in sale: sources

LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Rabobank's asset management arm, Robeco, is expected to fetch more than 2 billion euros ($2.6 billion), as several private equity firms and asset managers line up for the next round of bids due later this month, according to people familiar with the matter.

New York-based asset manager AMG (AMG.N) and Australian bank Macquarie Group Ltd (MQG.AX), as well as buyout firms Advent International, CVC Capital Partners and Permira Advisers LLP, are among the parties evaluating offers, the people said.

Final bids are due on September 18, the people said, although one of the sources cautioned the date could still be pushed back as the bidders are in continuing due diligence.

Because of the size of the business - which one of the sources said could fetch as much as 3 billion euros - some of the private equity firms have been in talks to team up for final bids.

For example, CVC is currently considering teaming up with Advent, after initial talks to join forces with TA Associates fell apart, one of the sources said.

Robeco and the potential bidders declined to comment or were not available for comment.

Raboank, the Netherlands' largest retail bank, kicked off the sale of Robeco in the spring after it lost its triple-A credit rating from Standard & Poor's last year and sought to prepare for stricter capital rules on European banks.

(Reporting by Simon Meads and Sophie Sassard in London, Soyoung Kim and Jessica Toonkel in New York; Editing by Leslie Adler)