The French government has sold part of its stake in Renault.

It is part of an announcement made by the French government in October last year to 'reduce its stake in Renault to 25% and thereby support Renault and Nissan's move to strengthen their alliance'.

Renault said the move enables it to: 'Retain its leading shareholder while broadening its shareholder base and increasing the number of shares available on the stock market.'

The move brings the government's stake in Renault to close to 25%.

In October last year, Renault raised its stake in Nissan from 36.8% to 44.4%, with Nissan subsequently acquiring a 13.5% stake in Renault in March this year.

At the end of last year, the French state had a 43.78% shareholding, which was reduced to 37.87% in March this year following the capital increase reserved for Nissan.