FRANKFURT, July 23 (Xinhua) -- German stocks closed flat on Monday, with the benchmark DAX index down 12.85 points, or 0.10 percent, to close at 12,548.57 points.

Pharmaceutical company Merck lost 2.17 percent, the top loser among the blue chips, followed by Deutsche Post and marketplace organizer for the trading of shares and securities Deutsche Boerse group, which lost 1.87 percent and 1.41 percent respectively.

Industrial giant Thyssenkrupp gained 4.77 percent, becoming the top gainer. Deutsche Bank advanced 1.56 percent. Automotive manufacturer BMW went up by 1.23 percent.

German multinational software corporation SAP was the most traded share with a turnover of 186.89 million euros (218.96 million U.S. dollars). Enditem