Shares of Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) experienced a decline of 2.03% during pre-market trading on Friday. This drop comes on the heels of the company’s announcement regarding anticipated low- to mid-single-digit sales growth for the current quarter, as per Benzinga Pro.

What Happened: At the time of writing, Apple’s shares were trading at $221.32, a decrease from Thursday’s closing price of $225.91. This decline follows the company’s earnings report for the September quarter, which slightly surpassed analysts’ expectations, largely due to a rebound in iPhone sales.

According to Barron’s, investor concerns were exacerbated by the company’s guidance for December quarter sales, which appeared weak. Furthermore, revenue from China, a key market for Apple ( AAPL ), saw a downturn due to intense competition from local firms such as Huawei.

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Why It Matters: Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, highlighted several positive developments in the company’s performance in China during the fourth-quarter earnings call. However, he refrained from commenting on the potential impact of economic stimulus, noting a stable year-over-year performance in China, partly due to improved foreign exchange rates.

Meanwhile, Jim Cramer, host of “Mad Money,” warned that Apple’s stock should not have risen as much after the third quarter earnings, suggesting that the market has now adjusted to the company’s lowered financial forecast. Cramer believes this adjustment brings expectations to a more reasonable level. Despite the forecast cuts, analyst Dan Ives defended the strong launch of the iPhone 16, noting robust performance in Europe for both Apple ( AAPL ) and Amazon.

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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