London close: Losses erased after 'optimistic' fiscal cliff comments

Comments from US Republican Speaker of the House John Boehner about the 'fiscal cliff' saw the FTSE 100 rally in afternoon trading to finish broadly flat.Markets got off to a poor start this morning after Nevada Democrat Harry Reid said that "little progress" has been made so far on avoiding the fiscal cliff by year-end.However, stocks pared losses after Boehner said that he was "optimistic that we can continue to work together to avert this crisis sooner rather than later." He said that Republicans were willing to put "revenue on the table" as long as it is accompanied by spending cuts. Market analyst Craig Erlam from Alpari said: "In the grand scheme of things this comment makes very little difference to people's perceptions, but on a day when so little has happened in the markets, it has helped trim earlier losses."Erskine Bowles, co-Chairman of Obama's 2010 fiscal commission, had said earlier in the day that it would be unlikely that the government will reach an agreement on the 'cliff' by the end of the year. FTSE 100: United Utilities gains after results; Burberry higher on Chinese hopesWater and sewage services group United Utilities made decent gains after reporting that revenue in the first half rose from £793m to £823m as regulated prices increases offset reduced commercial volumes and lower property sales associated with the water business. Luxury brand Burberry was higher after Chinese Commerce Minister Chen Deming said that China will definitely hit its growth target of at least 7.5% this year. The company is heavily exposed to the Chinese market - one of its highest growth regions - and its share price often sensitive to swings in the economic outlook for the nation.High Street giant Marks & Spencer also jumped after announcing that its pension deficit at March 31st was at £290m. "This represents a substantial reduction in deficit from £1.3bn as at March 31st 2009," the group said. The news prompted a revival of recent takeover talks. Chip designer ARM Holdings moved higher after the Daily Mail reported about a possible 1,200p bid from US tech giant Intel. That compares with yesterday's close of 758p.Distribution and outsourcing group Bunzl was leading the fallers after Citigroup cut its target price from 1,250p to 1,190p, and kept a 'neutral' rating. AMEC, Johnson Matthey, National Grid and Tate & Lyle were also registering losses today after going ex-dividend. Medical technology group Smith & Nephew fell after announcing that it is to buy the assets of US-based Healthpoint Biotherapeutics for $782m in an attempt to bolster its position in advanced wound care. Analysts at Investec said that the acquisition takes the company into "riskier areas' where future performance will be linked to the outcome of clinical trials. Asset manager Schroders was lower after announcing that its Chief Financial Officer Kevin Parry would step down next year.FTSE 250: Invensys jumps 27% after Rail disposal, capital returnIndustrial technology group Invenysys rocketed late on after saying that it has agreed to dispose of Invensys Rail to Siemens for £1.74bn and will return £625m in cash to shareholders. The sale will creates a "more focused industrial software, systems and control equipment business with significant exposure to higher margin and higher growth markets, and funds to invest in them," the company said.Kenmare Resources, the titanium feedstock miner, was down after warning that as a result of production issues, it expects its full-year production to be lower than previous guidance of 630,000 tonnes of ilmenite and 50,000 tonnes of zircon. Nickel miner Talvivaara disappointed after re-assessing its production targets following the gypsum pond leakage which stopped operations earlier this month. The company now expects full-year output to reach 13,000t of nickel, well below the previous 17,000t estimate.Insurance group Lancashire Holdings was another heavy faller after going ex-dividend.