Wires

UPDATE 1-Rabobank weighs bids for asset manager Robeco -sources

* Advent/CVC, AMG/Permira and Japan's Orix bid -sources

* Seller Rabobank evaluating the offers for Robeco -sources

* AMG/Permira plan to split up Robeco -sources

* Robeco could fetch more than 2 billion euros -sources

(Adds details) By Simon Meads and Jessica Toonkel LONDON/NEW YORK, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Dutch bank Rabobank

is weighing three offers for its asset management armRobeco, facing a choice between bids to split the 2 billioneuro-plus ($2.6 billion) business or sell it in one piece,people familiar with the situation said.

The Netherlands' largest retail bank received bids from aprivate equity consortium of Advent International and CVC, and a second from Japanese financial services groupOrix for the asset management unit.

It received a third bid from Boston-based asset manager AMGInc , which in partnership with buyouts firm Permira

plans to split up the business that spans Europe andthe United States, the people said.

Rabobank is in talks with various bidders and is currentlyevaluating the offers, one of the people said.

The cooperative bank kicked off the sale of Robeco earlythis year, after it lost its triple-A credit rating fromStandard & Poor's and sought to prepare for stricter capitalrules on European banks.

Initially valued at less than 2 billion euros, priceexpectations have soared, with one source believing the firmcould fetch as much as 3 billion euros.

AMG's bid with Permira could see the asset manager take onRobeco's U.S. divisions, such as Chicago-based Harbor CapitalAdvisors and Robeco Investment Management, with offices in NewYork as Boston, two of the people said.

Permira would then pick up the group's European assets suchas Corestone and SAM Sustainable Asset Management in Switzerlandand Robeco Institutional Asset Management headquartered in theNetherlands' second city Rotterdam.

Rabobank and Robeco declined to comment. The named biddersalso declined to comment or were unavailable for comment.

(Additional reporting by Sara Webb in Amsterdam; editing byDouwe Miedema)

((simon.meads@thomsonreuters.com)(+44 20 7542 9969)(ReutersMessaging: simon.meads.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: RABOBANK/ROBECO