Germany's benchmark DAX index advances

The benchmark DAX index at the Frankfurt Stock Exchange on Thursday advanced by 0.41 percent and closed at 9,248.51 points.
As more and more German companies are unveiling positive quarterly results, the blue-chip index closed up. However, it has lost more than 200 points since the beginning of this week. The majority of investors are still optimistic about the future development of the DAX index, according to the German business daily Handelsblatt.
The pharmaceutical company Merck KGaA rose markedly by 4.38 percent and adidas AG added 2.92 percent. The health care group Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, the fertilizer producer K+S Aktiengesellschaft and Deutsche Telekom AG also made it into the top five risers, up by 1.85 percent, 1.61 percent and 1.14 percent.
The utilities company RWE AG St, which fell 3.5 percent on Wednesday, lost 2.15 percent. The chemical company BASF SE, the utilities company E.ON AG, the semiconductor company Infineon Technologies AG and Volkswagen AG Vz each dropped by 0.48 percent, 0.38 percent, 0.35 percent and 0.33 percent.
The turnover stood at 2.83 billion euros (around 3.53 billion U.S. dollars). Allianz SE was the most traded share of the day with a turnover of 217.3 million euros. (1 euro = 1.25 U.S. dollars)