The Dax made up some of its moderate losses over the course of the day and was able to stay just below the much-noticed 16,000 point mark.

The leading index closed 0.20 percent lower than the day before at 15,960.56 points. The Dax was largely able to shake off unexpectedly weak export data from China, which briefly exacerbated investors' concerns about the economy. The MDax of medium-sized stocks climbed 0.14 percent to 27,140.47 points. Things have also been rather quiet on the US stock markets recently.

"Before tomorrow's public holiday in parts of Germany, investors are reluctant to make larger commitments," commented market analyst Konstantin Oldenburger from CMC Markets. Investors lack the courage to unleash further upward potential.

"At the 16,000 mark, almost nothing goes in either direction," stated Jürgen Molnar, capital market strategist at RoboMarkets. The Dax is in a deep sleep phase, the volatility continues to decrease.