Aussie shares hand back early gains for flat finish

Interest in the local market waned as investors weighed a potential fiscal crisis in France, prompting them to sell Euros for US dollars, bolstering the greenback and reversing an early lift in commodity prices.

Seven of 11 local sectors ended the session lower, led by consumer cyclicals, IT and communications stocks. 

The Australian dollar is buying 69.37 US cents, down from 69.69 on Friday at 10pm.