German stocks closed flat on Thursday, with the benchmark DAX index down 24.58 points, or 0.18 percent, to close at 13,440.93 points.

Multinational chemical firm Linde lost 1.87 percent, the top loser among the blue chips, followed by European health care company Fresenius SE and semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies which lost 1.75 and 1.61 percent respectively.

Deutsche Bank gained 2.59 percent, becoming the top gainer. Housing association Vonovia advanced 0.91 percent, and Commerzbank went up by 0.75 percent.

Automotive manufacturer Volkswagen was the most traded share, with a turnover of 367.20 million euros (427.60 million U.S. dollars).