German shares lost on Monday, with the benchmark DAX index down 50.99 points, or 0.41 percent, to close at 12,391.41 points.

Automotive manufacturer Volkswagen lost the most among the blue chips, down by 2.69 percent, followed by material manufacturer Covestro and tire specialist Continental, which lost 2.31 percent and 1.07 percent respectively.

German airlines Lufthansa, marketplace organizer for the trading of shares and securities Deutsche Boerse group and reinsurance company Munich Re were the top three winners, rising 1.84 percent, 0.78 percent and 0.63 percent respectively.

Volkswagen was the most traded share of the day with a turnover of 249.92 million euros (307.82 million U.S. dollars).