TOKYO: Tokyo stocks opened 0.48 percent higher on Thursday after the US central bank extended its bond-swapping programme for six months to help boost the flagging economy.

The Nikkei 225 index at the Tokyo Stock Exchange opened up 41.72 points to 8,794.03.

The US central bank's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee announced after a two-day meeting Wednesday that it would extend its bond-swapping programme, known as "Operation Twist," through the end of the year.

But it provided no hint of further quantitative easing steps while saying it stood ready to do more to help the US economic recovery.

"The Fed acted exactly in line with most expectations," Kenichi Hirano, operating officer at Tachibana Securities, told Dow Jones Newswires, adding Japan's share price reaction could be subdued.

US stocks closed mostly lower on Wednesday, with the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average finishing down 12.94 points, or 0.10 percent, at 12,824.39.

The euro fell to $1.2680 and 100.71 yen in early Asian trade from $1.2702 and 100.97 yen in New York late Wednesday. The dollar was at 79.40 yen against 79.49 yen.