Deals of the day -- mergers and acquisitions

April 3 (Reuters) - The following bids, mergers, acquisitions and disposals involving European, U.S. and Asian companies were reported by 0600 GMT on Friday.

(For Reuters columns on deals, click on [DEALTALK/]

** Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (8306.T) is the frontrunner to buy Citigroup's (C.N) Japanese brokerage Nikko Cordial Securities in a deal that could be announced as early as May, a person familiar with the matter said.

To read more, please double click on [nT33250]

** Australia's Arrow Energy Ltd (AOE.AX) will pay up to A$400 million ($286 million) for a 40 percent stake in the Tipton West field to boost its coal seam gas reserves and help it supply a planned gas export project. [nSYD373552]

** Shui On Construction and Materials (0983.HK) said trading in the company's shares was suspended pending a statement in relation to a possible offer for China Central Properties Ltd (CCPL.L) [nHKG29395]

** Air China (601111.SS) (0753.HK) said it has agreed to buy all the shares it does not already own in its cargo venture with the parent of Beijing Capital International Airport (0694.HK) for 718 million yuan ($105 million). [nSHA12023]

** New York-based private equity firm Patriarch Partners LLC won the auction for bankrupt Polaroid Corp's assets, both companies said, with Patriarch winning over three rival bidders. [nN02277489]

** IBM (IBM.N) cut its offer for Sun Microsystems Inc (JAVA.O) to $9.55 a share after a thorough vetting and may soon unveil details of its largest-ever takeover, a source with knowledge of the matter said. [nN02292413] (Compiled by Tina Kwan in Singapore)