Asia markets set to begin Christmas week higher; Nissan-Honda merger deal in focus

Couple looks at light-emitting diode illuminations ahead of Christmas in Tokyo, Japan

Asia-Pacific markets were set to start the holiday-shortened Christmas week on a positive note, after a U.S. government shutdown was averted over the weekend.

On Monday, investors will be looking out for any official announcement related to the merger of Japanese automakers Honda Motor and Nissan Motor. Japanese media outlet Jiji Press has reported that the announcement could come as early as Monday.

This comes after Nissan shares saw a record surge last Wednesday, following a media report that the struggling Japanese automaker was looking to merge with Honda.