European bourses advanced, with the Banking sector (up +1.8%) lifting the benchmark pan-European Stoxx 600 index (which includes UK equities) +0.34%. Germany's DAX edged +0.08% higher. France's CAC +0.22%. Germany’s national disease control centre, the Robert Koch Institute, said overnight that Britain, Portugal, Russia, India and Nepal will be removed from the country’s highest risk category of “virus variant areas” effective Wednesday (7 July). They will move into the second-highest category of “high-incidence areas.” Airlines and others are restricted largely to transporting German citizens and residents from “virus variant areas,” and those who arrive must spend 14 days in quarantine at home. People arriving from “high incidence areas,” however, can avoid quarantine if they can prove that they are fully vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. Others can cut short a mandatory 10-day quarantine by testing negative after five days. Transport is no longer restricted. In economic data, a final reading of the IHS Markit composite PMI printed at 59.5 in June, up from 57.1 in May and ahead of a “flash” estimate of 59.2. Eurozone Retail Sales for May, the ZEW Economic Sentiment index for the eurozone/Germany for July, and the eurozone/German Construction PMI for June, and German Factory Orders for May are released tonight AEST.