TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index skidded nearly 200 points yesterday as falling bullion prices took the luster out of gold-mining stocks, and the energy sector was stung by profit-taking.

Shares of energy and resource companies led the way down, with Agnico-Eagle Mines sliding C$3.95, or 5.7 percent, to C$65.25 and Suncor Energy giving up C$5.07, or 4.2 percent, at C$116.00.

Overall, the gold sub-index shed 3.5 percent and helped take 3.2 percent off its larger materials sector, while bullion was pressured by the US dollar's rise.

The oil and gas sector gave up 1.8 percent as investors locked in profits after the recent steep advance of crude prices. Oil was up 23 cents at $118.30 a barrel amid a decline in gasoline stocks.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 196.54 points, or 1.38 percent, at 14,069.8 with seven of its 10 main sectors in a downturn.

Also hurting the resource-laden materials group were declines by big fertiliser companies. Potash Corp of Saskatchewan fell C$8.80, or 4.1 percent, to C$206.50, and Agrium sagged C$4.80, or 5.2 percent, to C$88.25 respectively.

Lundin Mining Corp fell 27 Canadian cents, or 3.5 percent, to C$7.50 after it said the projected cost of developing its Tenke copper-cobalt joint venture with Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold has risen to about $1.75 billion, nearly double last year's estimate.

Elsewhere, shares of Aastra Technologies were down C$4.16, or 13.8 percent, at C$26.00 a day after the business communications company reported a drop in first-quarter profit, due in part to weaker European sales.

Banking issues slipped one percent, caught up in continuing unease about the health of US financial markets.

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was down C$1.55, or 2.2 percent, at C$68.40, while Royal Bank of Canada dipped 52 Canadian cents, or 1.1 percent, to C$47.51.