Losses due to commercial real estate loans are what U.S. regional banks face greater exposure to according to a Fitch Ratings report. This may increase the possibility of their future ratings being downgraded. The risk is generally manageable for large financial institutions while the downgrades would be more prevalent among the regional mid-sized to smaller banks.

“The potential for further deteriorations in commercial real estate portfolios is a major contributor to Fitch’s negative outlook for the banking sector,” said Thomas Abruzzo, co-head of Fitch’s North America financial institutions group. “Loan losses are increasingly likely given the expectation for ongoing declines in commercial real estate markets,” he said in the report.

Alex Zylberglait provides commercial real estate investment advisory as well as research, estate planning, asset allocation, valuation, financing, special assets services, transaction advisory and commercial property acquisition and disposition services.