The Negative Leverage Divide: What 2026’s Newest CMBS Loans Reveal About Cap Rates, Coupons, and Credit

CRED iQ analyzed $26.1 billion in newly securitized CMBS loans from 2026 and found that balance-weighted average cap rates now align almost exactly with average mortgage coupons, creating zero positive leverage for typical borrowers, with the split driven primarily by property type: favored sectors (multifamily, industrial, self-storage, mixed-use, manufactured housing) finance at negative leverage ranging from −19 to −86 basis points, while distressed sectors (hospitality at +124 bps, office at +95 bps, retail at +20 bps) maintain positive leverage. Cap rates range from 5.41% (manufactured housing) to 8.02% (hospitality), with office and hotel underwriting marked as extremely conservative at 13.8% weighted debt yields and 55.4% LTV, while 56% of new-issue balance is structured as full-term interest-only to offset thin leverage spreads.