GE Wins Alstom Energy Bid With France Buying 20% Stake

General Electric Co. overcame the last hurdle for the $17 billion purchase of Alstom SA’s energy assets as shareholder Bouygues SA agreed to sell a stake to France, enabling the U.S. company to seal its biggest acquisition ever.

Bouygues will sell as much as 20 percent of Alstom to the state, the company said in a statement today, meeting a condition set by the government to back the deal. Alstom already approved the offer by its U.S. competitor.