21.   Since Philip Burguieres left Weatherford Enterra last summer on a medical leave of absence, the company he aggressively built has become the focus of intense takeover speculation.

22.   The appointment of the two lawyers sparked intense speculation about their strategems.

23.   The composition of the Massachusetts congressional delegation has been the focus of intense speculation.

24.   The fight over the property reflects both the intense speculation in New York real estate and a small but rising fear that the market is out of control.

25.   The management shakeup took most company executives completely by surprise and was the subject of intense speculation inside and outside the company.

26.   The most intense speculation focused, as it often does, on Cisco.

27.   The king was also the subject of intense marital speculation, with possibilities ranging from a Chicago heiress to Princesses Maria and Ileana of Romania.

28.   The move follows intense speculation that Roche could sell its fragrances and flavors division and expand in areas such as pharmaceuticals and diagnostics.

29.   The quarter also saw intense speculation that an outside pharmaceutical firm would make a bid to acquire Amgen.

30.   The status of the talks between Steinbrenner and Cablevision, the Long Island-based company that owns Madison Square Garden, has been the source of intense speculation.