Placeholder story for stagingJOHANNESBURG / LONDON, 18 September 2026 — Credit-default swap spreads on a basket of regional mid-sized banks edged wider after one lender flagged higher wholesale funding costs, while listed gold miners outperformed broader equity gauges as bullion held firm.Five-year CDS for a sample of West and Southern African bank names widened by roughly 4 to 8 basis points, remaining well inside prior stress levels. The move followed a disclosure that wholesale deposit and interbank costs had risen without a change to capital guidance.A regional banks equity subindex fell 0.9 percent, while a gold-miners basket rose 1.7 percent as spot gold traded near $2,405 an ounce. Investors will watch upcoming deposit-cost disclosures and loan-growth guidance.Global Brief Staff • 18 September 2026