Carnival could see impact from Brexit with currency rates, CEO says

Carnival (NYSE: CCL), the world's largest cruise operator, reported a better-than-expected rise in quarterly revenue , but expects to feel the impact of Brexit when it comes to currency exchange rates, its CEO said Tuesday.

That impact was reflected in the company's guidance going forward for the full year.

Carnival, which operates the Costa and Princess cruise lines, raised the lower end of its 2016 profit forecast but cut the top end. It now expects earnings of $3.25–$3.35 per share, compared with its earlier estimate of $3.20–$3.40.

"We were able to maintain the midpoint of our guidance that we had given in March, despite a 17-cent drag from currency and rise in full prices," Carnival CEO Arnold Donald said in an interview with CNBC's " Closing Bell ."

"We were able to make that up largely through improved performance."

The Miami-based cruise operator is among the first U.S. companies to flag the U.K.'s exit from the European Union as a risk factor.

"We have lots of natural hedges," he said. "Currencies go up, they go down."

Carnival shares closed slightly higher after trading in a wide range Tuesday. The firm reported a $3.7 billion second-quarter revenue, beating Reuters analysts' estimates of $3.68 billion. Carnival also reported adjusted earnings of 49 cents a share, above a Reuters estimate of 39 cents.

"Our business is strong … our prices are up, our booking curves are further out so we have strong bookings and things are looking pretty bright," Donald said.

— Reuters and CNBC's Celena Chong contributed to this report.

More From CNBC

• Top News and Analysis
  

• Latest News Video
  

• Personal Finance