Tokyo stocks seen opening lower, but keeping 17,000

TOKYO (Reuters) - Japanese stocks will likely open lower and hover around 17,000 on Friday after a nearly flat finish on Wall Street, with exporters such as Kyocera Corp (6971.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) weak on concerns about earnings, sparked by a downward revision by Casio Computer (6952.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

Another notable stock may be Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd (7011.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz). The Nikkei business daily said on Friday the heavy machinery maker has chosen U.S. aircraft engine marker Pratt & Whitney to supply engines for the passenger jet it plants to launch in 2012.

"There's a possibility exporters will soften after a negative surprise by Casio, which led investors to worry about earnings also by other exporters," said Kazuhiro Takahashi, general manager of the equity marketing department at Daiwa Securities SMBC.

Japan's Casio Computer on Thursday cut its operating profit forecast for the current business year by 30 percent due to sluggish mobile phone sales, missing market expectations.

"But the market is waiting for next trading factors, and the Nikkei is unlikely to break the 17,000 level."

Investors are waiting for U.S. jobs report on Friday as that could shed light on the economy and the outlook for interest rates there.

Nikkei futures traded in Chicago finished Thursday at 17,110, 10 points below the Osaka JNIc1 close, pointing to a slightly lower opening.

Market participants said the Nikkei will likely trade between 17,000 and 17,200 on Friday after the benchmark finished the previous session down 0.6 percent at 17,092.49.

U.S. stocks barely budged on Thursday as investors shied away from making big bets before Friday's jobs data. The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI was up 6.26 points, or 0.04 percent, to end at 13,974.31.