(Reuters) - Australian hearing aid maker Cochlear Ltd <COH.AX> said on Tuesday its first-half net profit slipped 1 percent, as selling and general expenses spiked.
Net profit for the six months ended Dec. 31 was A$110.8 million ($87.09 million), lower than A$111.4 million a year ago.
Profit was hit by a 14 percent jump in selling, marketing and general expenses as the firm incurred higher marketing costs and launched its Nucleus 7 Sound Processor device in September.
The firm declared an interim dividend of A$1.40 per share, higher than A$1.30 a year ago.
It reaffirmed its reported net profit outlook of A$240 million to A$250 million for the fiscal year 2018.
Shares of the firm were trading 3 percent lower at 2340 GMT, compared with a flat broader market <.AXJO>.
(Reporting by Aaron Saldanha in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates)
