Feed the ducks while they're quacking. If anyone understands the value of this sharemarket euphemism it's Australia's listed investment companies (LICs), which have capitalised on growing investor appetite for readymade portfolios of global stocks within a low earnings environment.

The prospect of a low-cost entry into global stocks offering higher growth upside, plus the added bonus of a falling Australian dollar – down 31 per cent from the highs of July 2011 – have captured the imagination of Australian investors.