German shares lost on Thursday, with the benchmark DAX index down 52.93 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 12,990.10 points.

Deutsche Boerse group, marketplace organizer for the trading of shares and securities lost the most among the blue chips, down by 2.06 percent, followed by automotive manufacturer BMW and tire specialist Continental, which lost 1.61 percent and 1.47 percent respectively.

Renal dialysis equipment supplier Fresenius Medical, energy group RWE and reinsurance company Munich Re were the top three winners, rising 0.35 percent, 0.33 percent and 0.32 percent respectively.

German multinational software corporation SAP was the most traded share of the day, with a turnover of 436.20 million euros (516.19 million U.S. dollars).