General Electric Co. GE, -1.57% shares declined in after-hours trading Friday, after the company provided retrospective financial information for additional disclosures around new accounting rules. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, GE provided its financial performance over the last two years as it would have appeared if the new accounting rules had been in place during those periods. The numbers were similar to GE's prior estimates of the effects, with the only notable difference being a 17 cents-a-share decline in 2017 earnings, slightly more than the prior 16 cents-a-share estimate. GE shares have experienced declines before when providing such information, which is believed to be a result of news organizations and investors mistaking the numbers as restatements based on errors instead of additional disclosures meant for information purposes. "This planned recast of historic financial information has sometimes been characterized as a 'restatement' with the misleading suggestion, at times, that it reflects some accounting error or impropriety," a GE spokeswoman said in an email providing background on the information. "That is simply incorrect - it is a required change in accounting standard that is prompting a host of other companies to similarly issue recasted historic financial information." GE stock declined 1.6% in late trading, after closing with a 2.5% gain at $13.51. GE stock has fallen 54.4% in the past year, as the S&P 500 index SPX, +1.05% has gained 14.1%.