If history is any guide, the stock market may perform solidly in 2011, the Year of the Rabbit according to the Chinese lunar calendar, with the dollar gaining against the yen as the U.S. economy moves toward recovery.

The 225-issue Nikkei stock index will likely trade between 9,500 and 12,500 in 2011, and the dollar is expected to trade roughly between ¥80 and ¥95, many analysts say.

The first half of 2011 could be slow, they say, affected by fluctuations in the currency market, but the Nikkei is likely to trend upward, benefiting from a steady U.S. economic recovery, a stronger dollar against the yen and the robust growth of emerging economies.