Credit Suisse First Boston (CSFB) and Société Générale have closed out on the long-awaited secondary share sale in Alstom, the French engineering group, in the biggest equity deal of the year so far.

The €1.86bn ($1.72bn) deal shows could inject some life into the European new market, which is having one of its quietest starts to the years in recent memory. The same two firms rounded up a good day with their appointment by the French government to lead the sale of the government's stake in Dassault Systemes, the French software firm.