The Toronto Stock Exchange closed with a hefty triple-digit loss for a third consecutive day on Wednesday as a continued slide in commodities prices dragged down energy and resources stocks.

The S&P/TSX composite index tumbled 190.90 points, or 1.9%, to close at 9,653.45.

The materials group plummeted 3.9% as gold futures fell to their lowest level in more than two months. On the Comex division of the New York Mercantile Exchange, August gold lost US$19.80, or 2.1%, to US$909.30 an ounce, the lowest settlement for a front-month contract since May 5.

The sub-gold index fell 3.8%.

Barrick Gold Corp. declined 4.2% to $36.63 and Goldcorp Inc. dropped 3.5% to $38.23.

Shares of Iamgold Corp. plunged 8.5% to $10.65 and Agnico-Eagle Mines Ltd. closed at $57.16, down 4.6%.

Franco-Nevada Corp. saw its shares tumble $1.48, or 5.6%, to $25.04.

Shares of Teck Resources Ltd. dropped 5.2% after the company said it had closed the previously announced sale of its 40% stake in the Pogo gold mine in Alaska. Teck shares fell 97 cents to $17.87.

Oil futures tumbled lower for a sixth straight session on Wednesday after U.S. data revealed that inventories increased last week. Crude for August delivery fell US$2.79, or 4.4%, to end at US$60.14 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, the lowest settlement price for a front-month contract since mid-May.

The drop sent the energy group down 1.9%.

Shares of Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. declined 2.4% to $53.65 and Nexen Inc. slipped 2.1% to $22.65.

Shares of Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd. shed $1.42, or 4.7%, to $28.83.

Also lower were units of Canadian Oil Sands Trust, which closed at $24.79, down 2.8%.

Financial stocks also retreated on Wednesday, sliding 1.8% as the Big Five banks’ stocks finished lower.

Bank of Montreal shares fell 2.8% to $45.95 and Bank of Nova Scotia’s stock shed 2.8% to $40.23.

Toronto-Dominion Bank shares fell $1.23, or 2.1%, to end at $56.32.

Shares of Manulife Financial Corp. advanced on Wednesday after CEO Donald Guloien said the company would continue to focus on building capital. Manulife shares rose 0.9% to $19.21.

The consumer staples sector was the only main group on the TSX to advance on Wednesday, rising 1.2%.

The S&P/TSX Venture composite index closed lower, shedding 35.54 points, or 3.3%, to end at 1,034.02.

The loonie slipped by a tenth of a cent to close at US85.65¢.

U.S. stocks were in negative territory for much of the day, but largely recovered by the session’s close.

The Dow Jones industrial average added 14.81 points, or 0.2%, to 8,178.41.

The S&P 500 Index fell 1.47 points, or 0.2%, to 879.56.

The Nasdaq Composite edged up 1 point, or 0.1%, to end at 1,747.17.