Fund group Aberdeen Asset Management confirmed rumours it was in talks with Lloyds Banking Group about the potential acquisition of Scottish Widows Investment Partnership (SWIP).The FTSE 100 company said these early stage discussions also included the formation of a strategic partnership with currently state-owned Lloyds.A partnership might be inevitable after Aberdeen said the purchase of SWIP would be made in return for issuing new shares to Lloyds, together with deferred performance-related cash payments. With SWIP's value estimated at up to £500m, Lloyds could end up with at least 5% of Abderdeen.Aberdeen cited potential benefits from the deal as increasing the "scale and diversity" of its product range, providing "substantial" cost efficiencies and synergies, and implied it would only complete the deal if it was "materially" earnings enhancing.The deal would also reinforce Aberdeen's commitment to a progressive dividend policy, it said, and to return surplus capital to shareholders over time. "There can be no certainty that the discussions will lead to any transaction or any certainty as to the terms on which any such transaction might proceed."Shares in Abderdeen shot up 5.5% on the news to 448.9p, while Lloyds steadily rose all morning to be 2.3% ahead at midday. OH