UK stocks advance on banking-sector strength

(For a Reuters live blog on US, UK and ​European stock markets, click or type LIVE/ ​in a news window) Oct 12 - ‌Britain's ​FTSE 100 inched up on Thursday, with financial stocks providing support ahead of key US inflation data and UK GDP figures ‌this week that could offer fresh insight into the economic outlook.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index rose 0.58% to 10,614.30 points by 1044 GMT, while the midcap FTSE 250 climbed 0.21%.