The SMO Physical Gold ETC (BARS), marketed by Tabula and managed by Zipa Investment Management, has collapsed from over $1 billion to just $5.6 million in assets after abrupt redemptions this month. The ESG-linked gold fund initially attracted strong interest with its “responsibly sourced” pitch, but the sudden exodus—potentially tied to one large investor—has left it nearly empty. Unlike BARS, rival gold ETCs are still seeing inflows, suggesting this is a product-specific issue rather than a market-wide trend.

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Gold vs. Stocks in 2026: What Q1 Returns Show
The first quarter of 2026 ended with an unusually clear message: energy prices are surging, equities are suffering, and gold is holding its ground. A look at cross-asset returns shows where the conflict premium is showing up — and where it isn’t.




