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Here are the largest business deals involving Minnesota-based companies, which are highlighted in bold lettering. The list includes deals in which local firms were both doing the buying and getting acquired.

  1. Medtronic Inc. buys Covidien, $42.7 billion, 2014
  2. Norwest Corp. buys Wells Fargo & Co. (takes Wells Fargo name), $34.4 billion, 1998
  3. Abbot Labs buys St. Jude Medical Inc., $30.5 billion, 2016
  4. Firstar Corp. buys U.S. Bancorp (takes U.S. Bancorp name), $21 billion, 2000
  5. St. Paul Cos. buys Travelers Property Casualty Corp., $16.1 billion, 2003
  6. UnitedHealth Group buys Change Healthcare, $14.3 billion, 2021
  7. UnitedHealth Group buys Catamaran Corp., $13.2 billion, 2015
  8. Sherwin Williams Co. buys Valspar Corp., $11.2 billion, 2016
  9. General Mills Inc. buys Pillsbury Co., $10.5 billion, 2000
  10. First Bank System buys U.S. Bancorp (takes U.S. Bancorp name), $8.9 billion, 1997
  11. Ecolab Inc. buys Nalco Holding Co., $8.1 billion, 2011
  12. General Mills Inc. buys Blue Buffalo Pet Products, $8 billion, 2018
  13. U.S. Bancorp buys MUFG Union Bank, $8 billion, 2021
  14. Northern States Power (now Xcel Energy) buys New Century Energies Inc., $7.9 billion, 1999
  15. UnitedHealth Group buys PacifiCare Health Systems, $7.4 billion, 2005