Fitch Downgrades One Distressed Class of BSCMSI 2007-PWR16

CHICAGO--()--Fitch Ratings has downgraded one class and affirmed 18 classes of Bear Stearns Commercial Mortgage Securities Trust (BSCMSI) commercial mortgage pass-through certificates series 2007-PWR16. A detailed list of rating actions follows at the end of this press release.

KEY RATING DRIVERS

The downgrade of class G reflects realized losses. The affirmations reflect continued paydown and overall stable performance since Fitch's last rating action. Fitch remains concerned about a number of highly leveraged loans, which may have trouble refinancing. Fitch has applied additional stresses in its base case analysis to factor in the refinancing risks. All of the loans in the pool mature in 2017. Fitch modeled losses of 15.2% of the remaining pool; expected losses on the original pool balance total 14.3%, including $220.5 million (6.7% of the original pool balance) in realized losses to date.

As of the October 2016 distribution date, the pool's aggregate principal balance has been reduced by 49.9% to $1.66 billion from $3.31 billion at issuance. Per the servicer reporting, nine loans (3.4% of the pool) are defeased. Interest shortfalls are currently affecting classes G through S.

There was a variance from criteria related to class A-M for which the model output suggested that an upgrade was possible. Fitch determined that an upgrade is not warranted at this time as modeled loss on the remaining pool remains high and the significant maturity risk that exists with 100% of the pool maturating in 2017.

Highly Leveraged Loans: There are a number of highly leveraged loans within the pool. Eleven of the top 15 performing loans have Fitch loan-to-values (LTVs) above 100%, which may impact the ability of the loans to refinance at maturity.

2017 Maturities: All of the performing loans within the pool mature in 2017 exposing the transaction to significant maturity risk. The majority of the maturities (90%) occur in the second quarter of 2017.

Specially Serviced Assets: There are six specially serviced assets representing 4.60% of the pool. Five of the assets are real estate owned (REO). The largest specially serviced asset and second largest contributor to losses is the North Grand Mall (1.8%), a 297,008 square foot (sf) regional mall located in Ames, IA. The loan was transferred to the special servicer in June 2014 for imminent default. Anchor tenants at the mall include JCPenney (31.6% net rentable area [NRA]), which extended their lease for an additional seven years through March 2020 and Younkers (16.8% NRA), which expires in 2022. The third largest tenant, a movie theatre, closed in 2014. Sears closed its location at the mall in 2008, after which its store was demolished and replaced with Kohl's, TJ Maxx, and Shoe Carnival. The servicer-reported occupancy at the property as of August 2016 is 85.0%, a decline from the 92.7% reported at year-end 2013. The servicer reports that the property is under contract with an expected closing in December 2016. Fitch expects significant losses on the asset upon disposition.

The second largest specially serviced asset and third largest contributor to losses is Ashford Oaks, a 190,819 sf suburban property, located in San Antonio, TX. The property became REO after foreclosure was completed in October 2015. The servicer is focused on new leases and renewals as well as upgrades to common areas, restrooms and a security desk. The property is being marketed for sale and current occupancy is 55%.

Beacon Seattle & DC Portfolio: The Beacon Seattle & DC Portfolio remains the largest contributor to modeled losses. The loan was initially secured by a portfolio consisting of 16 office properties, the pledge of the mortgage and the borrower's ownership interest in one office property, and the pledge of cash flows from three office properties. In aggregate, the initial portfolio of 20 properties comprised approximately 9.8 million square feet of office space. The loan was transferred to special servicing in April 2010 for imminent default and was modified in December 2010. Key modification terms included a five-year extension of the loan to May 2017, a deleveraging structure that provided for the release of properties over time, and an interest rate reduction. The loan was returned to the master servicer in May 2012 and is performing under the modified terms.

Per the recent master servicer comments, the borrower is marketing the four remaining properties in order to liquidate the entire portfolio by the May 2017 extended maturity date. As of June 2016, the portfolio occupancy is 84.4%.

RATING SENSITIVITIES

Stable Outlooks on classes A-4, A-1A and A-M reflect their seniority and sufficient credit enhancement. Downgrades to the senior classes are not expected unless there is a material decline in loan performance or if losses on the specially serviced loans exceed current expectations. Upgrades are possible if specially serviced assets are resolved with better than anticipated recoveries. Downgrades to the distressed classes will occur as losses are realized.

USE OF THIRD-PARTY DUE DILIGENCE PURSUANT TO SEC RULE 17G-10

No third party due diligence was provided or reviewed in relation to this rating action.

Fitch downgrades the following class:

--$23.9 million class G to 'Dsf' from 'Csf'; RE 0%.

Fitch affirms the following classes and revises the RE as indicated:

--$273.4 million class A-J at 'CCCsf'; RE 60%.

Fitch affirms the following classes:

--$640 million class A-4 at 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable;

--$246.6 million class A-1A at 'AAAsf'; Outlook Stable;

--$331.4 million class A-M at 'Asf'; Outlook Stable;

--$33.1 million class B at 'CCCsf'; RE 0%;

--$33.1 million class C at 'CCCsf'; RE 0%;

--$33.1 million class D at 'CCsf'; RE 0%;

--$20.7 million class E at 'CCsf'; RE 0%;

--$24.9 million class F at 'Csf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class H at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class J at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class K at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class L at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class M at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class N at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class O at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class P at 'Dsf'; RE 0%;

--$0 class Q at 'Dsf'; RE 0%.

The class A-1, A-2, A-3 and A-AB certificates have paid in full. Fitch does not rate the class S certificates. Fitch previously withdrew the rating on the interest-only class X certificates.

Additional information is available at www.fitchratings.com.

Applicable Criteria

Counterparty Criteria for Structured Finance and Covered Bonds (pub. 01 Sep 2016)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/886006

Criteria for Rating Caps and Limitations in Global Structured Finance Transactions (pub. 16 Jun 2016)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/882401

Global Structured Finance Rating Criteria (pub. 27 Jun 2016)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/883130

U.S. and Canadian Fixed-Rate Multiborrower CMBS Surveillance and U.S. Re-REMIC Criteria (pub. 13 Nov 2015)

https://www.fitchratings.com/site/re/873395

Additional Disclosures

Dodd-Frank Rating Information Disclosure Form

https://www.fitchratings.com/creditdesk/press_releases/content/ridf_frame.cfm?pr_id=1013895

Solicitation Status

https://www.fitchratings.com/gws/en/disclosure/solicitation?pr_id=1013895

Endorsement Policy

https://www.fitchratings.com/regulatory

ALL FITCH CREDIT RATINGS ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS. PLEASE READ THESE LIMITATIONS AND DISCLAIMERS BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: HTTPS://WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM/UNDERSTANDINGCREDITRATINGS. IN ADDITION, RATING DEFINITIONS AND THE TERMS OF USE OF SUCH RATINGS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE AGENCY'S PUBLIC WEB SITE AT WWW.FITCHRATINGS.COM. PUBLISHED RATINGS, CRITERIA, AND METHODOLOGIES ARE AVAILABLE FROM THIS SITE AT ALL TIMES. FITCH'S CODE OF CONDUCT, CONFIDENTIALITY, CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, AFFILIATE FIREWALL, COMPLIANCE, AND OTHER RELEVANT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ARE ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE CODE OF CONDUCT SECTION OF THIS SITE. FITCH MAY HAVE PROVIDED ANOTHER PERMISSIBLE SERVICE TO THE RATED ENTITY OR ITS RELATED THIRD PARTIES. DETAILS OF THIS SERVICE FOR RATINGS FOR WHICH THE LEAD ANALYST IS BASED IN AN EU-REGISTERED ENTITY CAN BE FOUND ON THE ENTITY SUMMARY PAGE FOR THIS ISSUER ON THE FITCH WEBSITE.

Copyright © 2016 by Fitch Ratings, Inc., Fitch Ratings Ltd. and its subsidiaries. 33 Whitehall Street, NY, NY 10004. Telephone: 1-800-753-4824, (212) 908-0500. Fax: (212) 480-4435. Reproduction or retransmission in whole or in part is prohibited except by permission. All rights reserved. In issuing and maintaining its ratings and in making other reports (including forecast information), Fitch relies on factual information it receives from issuers and underwriters and from other sources Fitch believes to be credible. Fitch conducts a reasonable investigation of the factual information relied upon by it in accordance with its ratings methodology, and obtains reasonable verification of that information from independent sources, to the extent such sources are available for a given security or in a given jurisdiction. The manner of Fitch's factual investigation and the scope of the third-party verification it obtains will vary depending on the nature of the rated security and its issuer, the requirements and practices in the jurisdiction in which the rated security is offered and sold and/or the issuer is located, the availability and nature of relevant public information, access to the management of the issuer and its advisers, the availability of pre-existing third-party verifications such as audit reports, agreed-upon procedures letters, appraisals, actuarial reports, engineering reports, legal opinions and other reports provided by third parties, the availability of independent and competent third- party verification sources with respect to the particular security or in the particular jurisdiction of the issuer, and a variety of other factors. Users of Fitch's ratings and reports should understand that neither an enhanced factual investigation nor any third-party verification can ensure that all of the information Fitch relies on in connection with a rating or a report will be accurate and complete. Ultimately, the issuer and its advisers are responsible for the accuracy of the information they provide to Fitch and to the market in offering documents and other reports. In issuing its ratings and its reports, Fitch must rely on the work of experts, including independent auditors with respect to financial statements and attorneys with respect to legal and tax matters. Further, ratings and forecasts of financial and other information are inherently forward-looking and embody assumptions and predictions about future events that by their nature cannot be verified as facts. As a result, despite any verification of current facts, ratings and forecasts can be affected by future events or conditions that were not anticipated at the time a rating or forecast was issued or affirmed.

The information in this report is provided "as is" without any representation or warranty of any kind, and Fitch does not represent or warrant that the report or any of its contents will meet any of the requirements of a recipient of the report. A Fitch rating is an opinion as to the creditworthiness of a security. This opinion and reports made by Fitch are based on established criteria and methodologies that Fitch is continuously evaluating and updating. Therefore, ratings and reports are the collective work product of Fitch and no individual, or group of individuals, is solely responsible for a rating or a report. The rating does not address the risk of loss due to risks other than credit risk, unless such risk is specifically mentioned. Fitch is not engaged in the offer or sale of any security. All Fitch reports have shared authorship. Individuals identified in a Fitch report were involved in, but are not solely responsible for, the opinions stated therein. The individuals are named for contact purposes only. A report providing a Fitch rating is neither a prospectus nor a substitute for the information assembled, verified and presented to investors by the issuer and its agents in connection with the sale of the securities. Ratings may be changed or withdrawn at any time for any reason in the sole discretion of Fitch. Fitch does not provide investment advice of any sort. Ratings are not a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security. Ratings do not comment on the adequacy of market price, the suitability of any security for a particular investor, or the tax-exempt nature or taxability of payments made in respect to any security. Fitch receives fees from issuers, insurers, guarantors, other obligors, and underwriters for rating securities. Such fees generally vary from US$1,000 to US$750,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent) per issue. In certain cases, Fitch will rate all or a number of issues issued by a particular issuer, or insured or guaranteed by a particular insurer or guarantor, for a single annual fee. Such fees are expected to vary from US$10,000 to US$1,500,000 (or the applicable currency equivalent). The assignment, publication, or dissemination of a rating by Fitch shall not constitute a consent by Fitch to use its name as an expert in connection with any registration statement filed under the United States securities laws, the Financial Services and Markets Act of 2000 of the United Kingdom, or the securities laws of any particular jurisdiction. Due to the relative efficiency of electronic publishing and distribution, Fitch research may be available to electronic subscribers up to three days earlier than to print subscribers.

For Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and South Korea only: Fitch Australia Pty Ltd holds an Australian financial services license (AFS license no. 337123) which authorizes it to provide credit ratings to wholesale clients only. Credit ratings information published by Fitch is not intended to be used by persons who are retail clients within the meaning of the Corporations Act 2001

Contacts

Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst
Daniel Anderson
Associate Director
+1-312-606-2305
Fitch Ratings, Inc.
70 West Madison
Chicago, IL 60602
or
Committee Chairperson
Chris Bushart
Senior Director
+1-212-908-0606
or
Media Relations
Sandro Scenga, +1 212-908-0278
sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com

Contacts

Fitch Ratings
Primary Analyst
Daniel Anderson
Associate Director
+1-312-606-2305
Fitch Ratings, Inc.
70 West Madison
Chicago, IL 60602
or
Committee Chairperson
Chris Bushart
Senior Director
+1-212-908-0606
or
Media Relations
Sandro Scenga, +1 212-908-0278
sandro.scenga@fitchratings.com