TORONTO (Reuters) - The Toronto Stock Exchange's main index slid yesterday as gains in the energy sector were undercut by profit-taking among bank and gold issues.

The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 60.21 points, or 0.45 percent, at 13,258.16 with seven of its 10 main groups on the downside.

The gold-producers sub-index, which has enjoyed a strong run since the beginning of the year, retreated 2.9 percent with Barrick Gold down C$1.58, or 3.1 percent, at C$49.06.

The group was stung by declines in the price of gold, which also fell on profit-taking and technical selling. The broader materials sector was off 0.8 percent.

Financials, which rose nearly four percent last week on bargain-hunting last week, turned around and shed 1.2 percent. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce was down C$1.84, or 2.5 percent, at C$71.64, while Toronto-Dominion Bank fell C$1.14, or 1.7 percent, to C$67.89.

"One could say it's simply profit-taking - those two (sectors) had the biggest bounce," said Ian Nakamoto, director of research at MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier.

"Having said that, it's still rather encouraging. You would think with such a big bounce up, it would be more aggressive profit-taking."

Also in the banking sector, Bank of Nova Scotia lost 54 Canadian cents, or 1.1 percent, to C$48.29 after it said it was buying banking operations in Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.

Coventree Inc was the biggest percentage loser, after the small structured-finance firm said on Friday it expects to wind up its business. Coventree, which is at the center of troubles in the non-bank asset-backed commercial paper market, was down 29 Canadian cents, or 34.5 percent, at 55 Canadian cents.

Teck Cominco Ltd bucked the trend, to finish up C$1.91, or 5.5 percent, at C$36.81. The base metal miner denied rumours on Friday there were problems at its Red Dog zinc mine, but cut its 2008 production estimate for its Highland Valley copper mine.

Also on the upside, the heavyweight energy sector added 0.8 percent as the price of March crude climbed $1.06, or 1.19 percent, to $90.02.

Suncor Energy rose C$1.16, or 1.2 percent, to C$95.98 and Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd was up C$3.10, or 6 percent, at C$55.

Elsewhere, consumer goods manufacturer Dorel Industries jumped C$2.75, or 9.4 percent, to C$32.00 after it said it will buy Cannondale Bicycle Corp, putting the company into the high-end bike market.