Australian shares opened flat after the US Federal Reserve announced it would extend its bond-swapping program which led to falls on Wall Street.
At 1022 AEST on Thursday, the benchmark S&P/ASX200 index was down 0.2 points at 4,132.2, while the broader All Ordinaries index was also down 0.1 point at 4,176.7.
On the ASX 24, the June share price index futures contract, which expires at noon, was up 12 points at 4,141 with 10,712 contracts traded.
The September share price index futures contract was up one point to 4,094.
IG Markets analyst Cameron Peacock said little movement was expected on the domestic market on Thursday after the Federal Reserve extended its bond-swapping program, known as Operation Twist, for six months to help boost the flagging economy.
"We also had (US Federal Reserve chairman) Ben Bernanke giving a fairly lacklustre assessment of the US economy," Mr Peacock said.
"I think most people in the market accepted the decision and we will see some form of quantitative easing, it's just a matter if when. Markets now are going to be focused on to what level the US economy needs to be slowed before they pull that trigger."
US stocks closed mostly lower on Wednesday after Operation Twist, scheduled to expire at the end of June, was extended through the end of the year, the central bank's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee announced on Wednesday after a two-day meeting.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the session down 12.94 points, or 0.10 per cent, at 12,824.39.
At the close, London's benchmark FTSE 100 index added 0.64 per cent to 5,622.29 points.
Locally, the mining giants were mainly flat at open.
BHP Billiton was up one cent to $32.61, Fortescue Metals was flat at $4.91 and Rio Tinto was up 18 cents $57.90.
The four major banks were mixed.
ANZ was five cents higher at $21.80, National Australia Bank was down eight cents to $23.37, Westpac was one cent higher to $21.21 and Commonwealth Bank was 11 cents higher at $52.20.
National turnover was 591 million shares worth $2.689 billion, with 251 up, 254 down and 246 unchanged.
