German shares lost on Thursday, with the benchmark DAX index down 231.08 points, or 1.83 percent, to close at 12,416.19 points.

German semiconductor manufacturer Infineon Technologies lost the most among the blue chips, down by 4.59 percent, followed by energy group RWE and industrial giant Thyssenkrupp, which lost 4.20 percent and 4.00 percent respectively.

Commerzbank and Deutsche Bank were the top two winners, rising 1.34 percent and 0.26 percent respectively. Reinsurance company Munich Re stayed unchanged.

German multinational chemical and pharmaceutical company Bayer was the most traded share of the day with a turnover of 328.98 million euros (375.46 million U.S. dollars).