German stocks declined further on Wednesday ahead of the US GDP data due later in the day. Investors also are cautious as Angela Merkel is meeting Mario Monti on Wednesday, before holding an official press conference in Berlin. The German DAX retreated 0.43% to trade at 6,969.67. Only one industry included in the index rose. Health care companies posted mild gains, with Fresenius Medical Care and Fresenius SE & Co advancing by 0.48% and 0.47%. On the downside were consumer services and telecommunications. Deutsche Telecom slumped 0.67%. At the same time, the worst-performer was Deutsche Lufthansa, dropping by 1.95% as main cabin crew union is planning to strike after cancelling wage negotiations. Metro lost 0.61% on speculation that the company may be excluded from the DAX Index.