GE’s Immelt Pursuing Biggest Deal in Bid to Boost Growth

Buying Alstom SA would be Jeffrey Immelt’s biggest attempt yet to reverse a 35 percent slump in General Electric Co.’s shares on his watch as sales growth languishes.

GE is in discussions to pay more than $13 billion for the French builder of trains and power plants, according to people with knowledge of the talks. That would break with Immelt’s history as chief executive officer of sticking to deals that rarely top $5 billion.