The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that North American stocks fell on Thursday, as Iranian strikes on two oil tankers sent crude prices surging toward $100 (U.S.) a barrel, further exacerbating inflation fears and sending investors fleeing equity markets. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says the S&P/TSX Composite Index fell to a one-month low, ending down 279.23 points at 32,840.60, marking its lowest closing level since Feb. 12. All three major U.S. stock indexes posted steeper declines, sliding more than 1.5 per cent in a broad sell-off, with everything but energy and some defensive stocks suffering steep percentage losses. "There's a realization that a resolution to the Middle East conflict is being pushed further out," said Ryan Detrick, chief market strategist at Carson Group in Omaha, Neb. "It's a sell first, ask questions later type of mentality. There hasn't been safe sector outside of energy." The Dow fell 739.42 points, or 1.56 per cent, to 46,677.85, the S&P 500 lost 103.22 points, or 1.52 per cent, to 6,672.58 and the Nasdaq composite lost 404.15 points, or 1.78 per cent, to 22,311.98. In Canada, heavily weighted financials dropped 1.4 per cent, while technology was down 1.5 per cent.