91.   Takeover speculation helped push American Express higher.

92.   Takeover speculation sparked utilities.

93.   Takeover speculation has sent the stocks of both companies up sharply in recent months.

94.   Takeover speculation in the financial services industry has also boosted the shares, analysts said.

95.   Takeover speculation may also be driving stock.

96.   Takeover speculation was fueled today when Business Week, citing unidentified sources, reported Signet was negotiating with First Union Corp. of Charlotte, North Carolina.

97.   Still, Mercantile shares fell as takeover speculation dissipated.

98.   Takeover speculation began to focus on WellPoint last year, after Blue Cross announced plans to restructure itself from a nonprofit organization into a for-profit company.

99.   Takeover speculation buoyed stocks in the U.K. while concerns about earnings in Germany weighed on the shares.

100.   Takeover speculation in the financial industry also helped underpin shares.