Eighteen Minnesota companies made this year’s Fortune 500 list of the largest public and closely held corporations in the United States based on revenue. And half of those 18 local businesses moved up in rank.

This year’s list includes the same Minnesota companies from last year’s, with the exception of Nash Finch, the food distributor formerly based in Edina, which was acquired by Michigan-based Spartan Stores last year.

Minnetonka-based healthcare giant UnitedHealth Group, Inc. once again ranked highest among Minnesota companies, coming in at 14th—a three-spot bump from last year—thanks to a nearly 11 percent increase in revenue in 2013.

Eight more of the state's companies also moved up in the rankings, with C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc. posting the highest gains as it jumped 17 spots from 2013’s list to place 220th this year. The Eden Prairie-based transportation logistics company saw a 12 percent increase in revenues from 2012 to 2013.

Other major gainers were Ecolab, Inc., which jumped 16 spots to 213th; Ameriprise Financial, Inc., which climbed 14 places to 249th; and General Mills, Inc., which gained 10 places to take 159th. All three of those companies reported annual revenue increases of at least $1 billion over the past year.

Six other companies slid down in the rankings. The Mosaic Company fell the furthest in this year’s ranking, dropping 37 spots to 283rd. Annual revenue for the Plymouth-based fertilizer producer decreased more than 10 percent in 2013. (The company also announced in May that it is cutting 500 jobs.) SuperValu, Inc. and U.S. Bancorp both slid eight spots to 94th and 140th, respectively. St. Jude Medical, Inc. and Land O’ Lakes Inc., each dropped five places. Minneapolis-based Target Corporation and Maplewood-based 3M Company, meanwhile, each held their respective places from last year's list.

Minnesota companies that made the 2013 list—along with their rankings, annual revenue, and position on last year’s list—are:

• 14: UnitedHealth Group, Inc., $122.5 billion (17th last year)
• 36: Target Corporation, $72.6 billion (36th last year)
• 60: Best Buy Company, Inc., $45.2 billion (61st last year)
• 62: CHS, Inc., $44.5 billion (69th last year)
• 94: Supervalu, Inc., $34.3 billion (86th last year)
• 101: 3M Company, $30.9 billion (101st last year)
• 140: U.S. Bancorp, $21.1 billion (132nd last year)
• 159: General Mills, Inc., $17.8 billion (169th last year)
• 173: Medtronic, Inc., $16.6 billion (172nd last year)
• 199: Land O’ Lakes, Inc., $14.7 billion (194th last year)
• 213: Ecolab, Inc., $13.3 billion (229th last year)
• 220: C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., $12.8 billion (237th last year)
• 249: Ameriprise Financial, Inc., $11.2 billion (263rd last year)
• 257: Xcel Energy, Inc. $10.9 billion (266th last year)
• 283: The Mosaic Company, $10 billion (246th last year)
• 311: Hormel Foods Corporation, $8.8 billion (319th last year)
• 335: Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, $8.1 billion (325th last year)
• 462: St. Jude Medical, Inc., $5.5 billion (457th last year)

Wal-mart retained the number one ranking, which it took back from Exxon Mobil last year. Exxon stayed in the second-place spot while Chevron, Berkshire Hathaway, and Apple rounded out the top five.

See this year's entire Fortune 500 list here.