Shares in Cochlear leapt in early trading, as the hearing implant maker shrugged off pandemic restrictions across developed markets and maintained its full-year profit guidance, sweetening the result with a higher dividend for shareholders.

The stock jumped 5 per cent to $200.25 each as investors digested the results, which included a 20 per cent rise in underlying net profit to $157.5 million on a constant currency basis over the half to December 31. Statutory net profit fell 28 per cent to $169.3 million as volumes declined in the US market.