Getting to Know: Cochlear Limited

You could have bought stock in Cochlear Limited at the turn of the century for about $10. A few days ago the stock was worth more than $76 a share.

Cochlear Limited is the biggest of the three companies that dominate the cochlear implant market. More than a quarter of a million people have a Cochlear implant. Based in Australia, Cochlear Limited does most of its business in Europe and the U.S. through more than a dozen subsidiaries. With a billion dollars in annual revenue, the company features brands like Nucleus and Baha. During the first half of 2012, it reported 12% growth of sales revenue to $815 million. The company employs more than 4000 people. Cochlear recently announced it was buying Oticon Medical for about $170 million (Australian). Read more on the company website here.