Four Minnesota companies were recently ranked among Fortune magazine's “most admired companies”: 3M Company, Target Corporation, St. Jude Medical, Inc., and General Mills, Inc.

Apple, Inc., topped the list-for the fifth year in a row. Google, Inc., took second.

Maplewood-based 3M ranked 18th and received high marks for increasing revenues by 11 percent in 2011 through the growth of four of its six business segments. The company also increased spending to encourage future growth and invested a significant sum to address supply constraints in businesses including renewable energy, according to Fortune.

Minneapolis-based Target landed in the 25th spot, beating out all other companies in the general merchandisers category.

Little Canada-based St. Jude Medical was named the 48th most-admired company. It tied with Kalamazoo, Michigan-based Stryker for the top spot in the medical equipment category.

Golden Valley-based General Mills sat at the bottom of list in 50th place, along with Tokyo-based Honda Motor. It placed sixth in the consumer food products sector.

Meanwhile, Richfield-based Best Buy Company, which was named the 36th most-admired company last year, did not make the cut this year.

According to Fortune, companies that made the list “have the best reputation.” The magazine's list was based on a survey that asked businesspeople to vote for companies that they admired the most, from any industry.

Fortune also released an unranked list of 358 most-admired companies in the world. Four more Minnesota companies made that list: Eden Prairie-based C.H. Robinson Worldwide, Inc., Minneapolis-based U.S. Bancorp, Fridley-based Medtronic, Inc., and Minnetonka-based UnitedHealth Group, Inc.

All eight companies rank among the state's largest based on revenue.

To view Fortune's full list, click here.