Nikkei may climb on US stock gains, softer yen

TOKYO, June 18 (Reuters) A gain in U.S. stocks and a weaker yen are likely to keep helping Japanese stocks rise on Monday, pushing up high-tech exporters such as Canon Inc.

One issue in focus may be Resona Holdings Inc.

Japan's fourth-largest bank is in talks to issue about 100 billion yen worth of preferred shares to Dai-Ichi Mutual Life Insurance Co. to help it repay public funds, financial sources said.

''The Nikkei is likely to have a strong start after U.S.

stocks continued to rise and following the softer yen,'' said Kazuhiro Takahashi, a general manager in the equity marketing department at Daiwa Securities SMBC.

''The index could try for 18,300, maybe next week, if foreigners start buying more actively,'' he added.

Nikkei futures point to a rise in share prices. Contracts traded in Chicago finished Friday at 18,180, up 160 points from the close in Osaka The benchmark Nikkei average rose 0.72 percent on Friday to end at 17,971.49, a tad short of 18,000 but the highest close since June 7.

The index hit 18,300.39 on Feb. 26, its highest for the year.

Market participants said the Nikkei was likely to move between 18,000 and 18,200 on Monday.

In New York, the dollar rallied to a fresh 4-1/2-year high against the yen of 123.66 yen on Friday after the Bank of Japan indicated it was in no hurry to raise interest rates.

A weaker yen is a boon to companies that make the bulk of their sales abroad because it boosts profits when earnings from abroad are brought home.

U.S. stocks rose for a third straight day on Friday. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite Index climbed 1.05 percent to close at 2,626.71.

STOCKS TO WATCH -- Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. T> Kawasaki Heavy plans to invest about 20 billion yen (2 million) to build a second plant in Japan to make components for Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner, seeing strong demand for the midsize passenger jet, the Nikkei business daily said on Monday.

-- Hoya Corp., Pentax Corp.

Hoya said on Friday it would launch its 4 million tender offer around July 3, compared with early June as originally scheduled. Hoya also said on Friday it had cut by half the minimum number of shares it aims to acquire in a tender offer for Pentax.

-- Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. and other defence contractors Japan and the United States are set to allow private defence contractors to directly share and transfer information on defence technology, the Nikkei business daily said on Sunday.

-- Welcia Kanto Co. T> Welcia Kanto, a drugstore chain affiliated with retailer Aeon Co., will join hands with nursing-home operator Wisnet Co. and offer to buy all of Goodwill Group Inc.'s scandal-hit nursing care operations, the Nikkei business reported on Saturday.

-- Nova Corp. Q> Nova, the nation's biggest operator of English language schools, is considering several offers of a possible business or capital alliance, the daily Yomiuri Shimbun said on Saturday.

-- Asahi Glass, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. Asahi Glass and Mitsubishi Electric are selling their money-losing liquid crystal display-making joint venture Optrex Corp., sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Friday.

-- Toyota Motor Corp. T> Toyota said on Friday it is offering up to