The stalemate on the German stock market is likely to continue on Thursday.

Moderate losses are expected for the leading DAX index DE0008469008 at the start of trading. This means the stock market barometer remains within its recent trading range of approximately 23,500 to 23,900 points. The X-DAX DE000A0C4CA0 signaled a 0.2 percent drop for the DAX to 23,587 points about an hour before the start of trading. The Eurozone's leading index, the EuroStoxx 50 EU0009658145, is also expected to decline moderately at the start.

The DAX could see some momentum for a breakout from its recent lethargy this early afternoon. The European Central Bank (ECB) will decide on key interest rates, and consumer prices will be on the agenda in the US. No interest rate change is expected from the Eurozone central bank. Investors are primarily looking ahead to the forward-looking statements from President Christine Lagarde.

There was little activity in premarket trading on Tradegate. Shares of Heidelberg Materials DE0006047004 rose 0.6 percent compared to the previous day's Xetra close. JPMorgan reiterated its position as a favorite in the construction sector. In the second-tier stock, Aurubis DE0006766504 fell 0.6 percent. Baader Bank downgraded the Hamburg-based copper producer's rating from "Buy" to "Add."