Aberdeen Asset Management PLC is in the final stage of talks to buy parts of Royal Bank of Scotland Group PLC's asset management division, people familiar with the matter said Wednesday, after other bidders, including Schroders PLC, dropped out of the process for the whole division.
The people said an announcement of the sale — part of a series of planned asset disposals by the 84%-state-owned bank — should be made this month and could come as soon as this week. Aberdeen would pay between 80 million pound sterling and 100 million pound sterling for the portions of the business it deems most attractive.
If Aberdeen closes on the deal, it would add investment areas such as funds of hedge funds to its product lines and cement its position as the U.K.'s largest independent fund manager by money under management, 146.2 billion pound sterling at Sept. 30.
