21.   Recent speculation that the central bank may be getting ready to tighten its easy-money stance had prompted interest in paying fixed rates and pushed swap rates higher.

22.   Several long-time Seattle companies --Nordstrom, Safeco, Alaska Airlines -- have been the subject of recent speculation as takeover targets.

23.   Still, exactly how the stock made it above the threshold has been the subject of recent speculation.

24.   That report spurred much of the recent speculation.

25.   The Microsoft-NBC partnership quashes recent speculation that GE may be planning to sell the network.

26.   The Microsoft-NBC venture quashes recent speculation that GE may want to sell the network.

27.   The most recent speculation has Princeton coach Pete Carril retiring after this season.

28.   The report contradicts recent speculation that the economy was growing quickly enough to prompt the Fed to raise rates to prevent inflation from accelerating.

29.   The resignation of Wallace comes after recent speculation, which Mazda did not deny, that he would be leaving.

30.   The sale signals that contrary to recent speculation, Japan has not closed the door to potential acquisitions of banks by foreigners.