LONDON, Aug 13 (Reuters) - European shares are set to open higher on Thursday, extending the previous session's sharp gains, after the U.S. Federal Reserve said it saw signs of a more stable U.S. economy. Financial spreadbetters expected Britain's FTSE 100 .FTSE to open up 12 to 18 points, or as much as 0.4 percent, Germany's DAX .GDAXI to open 18 to 21 points higher, or as much as 0.4 percent, and France's CAC 40 .FCHI to open from 1 point lower to a rise of 15 points, or as much as 0.4 percent. The Fed said on Wednesday the U.S. economy was showing signs of levelling out two years after the onset of the deepest financial crisis in decades and it moved to phase out one emergency measure. [ID:nN1272730] U.S. stocks rose overnight, while Tokyo's Nikkei average .N225 gained 1 percent. Commodity prices were also firmer, with the crude prices CLc1 trading above $70 a barrel, but the dollar edged lower after the Fed painted a less gloomy outlook. Results from Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI.BR), the world's largest brewer, UK insurer Prudential (PRU.L) and U.S. retailer Wal-Mart (WMT.N) would be in focus on Thursday. Euro zone second-quarter GDP data would also provide a further gauge to the region's economic picture. The FTSEurofirst 300 .FTEU3 index of top European shares ended 1.1 percent higher on Wednesday, ending a two-day losing run.

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