The Globe and Mail reports in its Friday edition that Apple shares rose in aftermarket trading on Thursday after the company forecast higher sales than Wall Street expected, a sign the company expects iPhone sales to recover as it rolls out artificial-intelligence features. A Reuters dispatch to The Globe says that Apple executives said they expect sales for the current quarter to rise in the low- to mid-single digit range. After accounting for a 2.5-percentage-point impact from foreign exchange rates, that forecast appeared to beat the 5-per-cent rise to $95.3-billion (U.S.) expected by analysts for the quarter that will end in March. Apple shares rose 3.5 per cent after the forecast. For the just-ended fiscal first quarter, Apple beat Wall Street's quarterly profit estimates, but iPhone sales and China revenue for the holiday quarter were weak owing to stiff Chinese competition and a slow rollout of artificial-intelligence features. The company's overall sales and profits were boosted by stronger-than-expected sales of iPads and Macs, where new chips helped persuade customers to upgrade. However, weak China sales reflect in part Apple's inability to launch its AI software and services there, according to Maxim Group.