Many banks on the Suncoast continued to decline in the third quarter of this year, with three now rating zero stars in the closely watched BauerFinancial analysis.

Overall, though, banks in the area are not faring as poorly as elsewhere in Florida, especially hard-hit Southwest Florida.

Coral Gables-based BauerFinancial rates banks and credit unions on their financial strength. The company looks at levels of capital, profitability and "nonperforming assets," which are delinquent loans and repossessed properties. Five stars is tops, zero stars worst.

Among 368 banks operating in Florida, 119 banks, or 32 percent of the total, received two stars or below in the three months ended Sept. 30.

A two-star rating is considered "problematic," according to BauerFinancial's ratings system.

More banks are falling into problematic territory. During the three months ended June 30, 112 banks got two stars or below.

Three local banks that got zero stars are: Bank of Florida-Tampa Bay and First Commercial Bank of Tampa Bay, both based in Tampa, and Apollo Beach-based Southshore Community Bank.

According to BauerFinancial's research, Bank of Florida-Tampa Bay has lost $5.1 million so far in 2009, and it has a relatively high level of nonperforming assets - 8.8 percent of its average tangible assets.

First Commercial Bank of Tampa Bay has lost $3.3 million this year, and 11.2 percent of its assets are nonperforming. Southshore Community Bank has lost $1.3 million, and 8.9 percent of its assets are nonperforming.
Credit unions in Florida have fared better than banks. Among 180 credit unions operating in Florida, only 13 got ratings of problematic or worse, or 7 percent of the total. The only local credit union getting zero stars was Sarasota Coastal Credit Union.

Most of the large regional banks and national banks operating in Florida appeared to get ratings of three stars ("adequate") or above.

For example, Bank of America, SunTrust and Wachovia each received three stars. JPMorgan Chase got three and a half stars.