The Toronto Stock Exchange’s benchmark index shed 2.5% on Monday as a drop in commodities prices pulled the resource-heavy index lower.

The S&P/TSX composite index plummeted 255.67 points to 10,027.43.

The materials group dropped 4.1% as gold futures slipped. On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, August gold futures fell US$6.70, or 0.7%, to US$924.30 an ounce.

The sub-gold index fell 4.1%.

Shares of Goldcorp Inc. finished at $39.10, down $2.33, or 5.6%.

Barrick Gold Corp. dropped $1.42, or 3.6% to $38.29 and Kinross Gold Corp. fell 3.3% to $21.21.

Also lower was Agrium Inc., off $2.33, or 4.9%, to $45.12.

The energy group also retreated on Monday, shedding 3.8% as oil futures tumbled lower. Crude for August delivery fell US$2.68, or 4%, to end at US$64.05 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange.

Shares of Suncor Energy Inc. plunged $2, or 6.1%, to $30.85.

Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. fell 4.1% to $55.90, and Nexen Inc. dropped 5.2% to $23.22.

EnCana Corp. finished at $53.05, off 4.2%, and Petro-Canada shares closed at $39.40, down 5.2%.

Meanwhile, financial stocks fell 1.5% on Monday.

Shares of Manulife Financial Corp. dropped 4.6% to $19.07.

Also lower was Bank of Nova Scotia, off 1.6% to $42.70, and Toronto-Dominion Bank, down 1.7% to $58.48.

Shares of Power Financial Corp. ended at $26.41, down 2.2%.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index fell 28.33 points, or 2.6%, to close at 1,064.63.

The Canadian dollar advanced by almost a fifth of a cent to close at US86.27¢.

The main stock market indices in the U.S. finished the day with mixed results, with gains among consumer staples and utilities and declines in energy and materials stocks.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 44.13 points, or 0.5%, to finish at 8,324.87.

The S&P 500 index edged up 2.3 points, or 0.3%, to close at 898.72.

The Nasdaq composite index slipped 9.12 points, or 0.5%, to end at 1,787.40.