Because of its low prices that attracted American consumers who were still reeling from the prolonged recession, Wal-Mart Stores regained the number 1 ranking in the Fortune 500 list for 2012.

The largest retailer in the US slipped to No 2 in 2011.

Wal-Mart logged a 5.9 per cent increase in sales for fiscal year 2012 to $443.9 billion. American shoppers comprise 62 per cent of the net sales of the retailer.

Here are the other companies in Fortune's newly released list of top 500 corporations in the world and why the made it to the top 10 based on their respective sales or net incomes.

1. Wal-Mart - $443.9 billion (sales)

2. Exxon Mobil - $44.8 billion (net income). The world's largest refiner resisted trend of spinning off refineries to focus on oil drilling. Its 2012 annual profit is the second highest in U.S. history.

3. Chevron - $26.2 billion (net income). This income was sourced from processing crude into fuels such as gasoline and diesel. The company plans to spend more in energy exploration in the coming years.

4. Phillips 66 - $169.5 billion (sales). This is the spun-off exploration arm of energy giant after it separated from Phillips Petroleum and ConocoPhillips.

5. Berkshire Hathaway - Warren Buffett's company made it to the list due to the 14.4 per cent rise in its per share book value even if it was less than the 16 per cent gain of S&P's 500's.

6. Apple - This is the first time that the tech firm made it to Fortune's top 10 list amid plummeting stock value and problems with its map apps and Chinese consumers.

7. General Motors - $6.2 billion earnings. GM managed to survive the global financial crisis by focusing on selling cars abroad, primarily China.

8. General Electric - The largest U.S. industrial company made it to the list despite slower growth in its power and water unit due to the slowdown in the U.S. and Europe.

9. Valero Energy - This is the world's biggest independent refiner with 16 refineries and ethanol plants across the U.S., Caribbean, UK and Canada.

10. Ford Motor - Although it suffered a 72 per cent decline in earnings in 2012, Ford appears headed for a better 2013 as its Ford Focus became the top-selling car in the world.