The Dax started trading weaker at the end of the week. The German benchmark index lost 0.8 percent to 15,080 points in the first few minutes.

Uncertainty about the future interest rate policy of the major central banks weighed on the market. Given the recent turmoil in the banking sector, some investors had hoped that the US Federal Reserve would pause interest rates. It had raised the key rate on Wednesday by a quarter of a percentage point to the new range of 4.75 to 5.0 percent.

Investors are still undecided what conclusions to draw for the further development of interest rates from the recent FOMC meeting, Helaba analysts wrote in a commentary.

Among the biggest losers were financials, amid ongoing concerns about the global banking system. Shares of Deutsche Bank and Commerzbank fell 5.1 and 2.8 percent, respectively.

On the economic side, the provisional purchasing managers' indices for Germany and the euro zone were on the agenda in the morning. "Overall, we see potential for slight increases in the indices," LBBW analyst Martin Güth wrote in a short study.