Take a deep breath and be sure to read on before you panic at the first paragraph of this article:

A ‘3% plunge on the Dow Jones Index’ is ‘sparking fear that the US is on the verge of another recession as ‘more than than 60 billion of wealth was burnt’ on the Australian sharemarket. One analyst said there was ‘a plausible scenario in which the U.S. stock market now collapses by another 70%'

• Solid gains by developed share markets caps off strong financial year.

• Australia was one of the top performing share markets globally.

• Emerging markets lagged developed, but returns still positive.

• Brexit still dragging, trade concerns hovering, but central banks accommodating.

Sharp declines in the December quarter as trade concerns weigh