Australia shares expected to open higher, NZ flat

Australian shares are set to rise on Thursday, tracking solid gains on Wall Street, as the U.S Federal Reserve said it will begin trimming its monthly bond purchases in November, while weaker oil prices are likely to weigh on domestic energy stocks.

The local share price index futures rose 0.5%, a 7.3-point premium to the underlying S&P/ASX 200 index close.

The benchmark rose 0.9% on Wednesday.

New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index was largely flat in early trading.