And for the most part, Mexican banks have indeed maintained a comparatively solid footing despite the nation’s deepest recession in decades and job losses that will likely surpass 1 million in the formal sector alone this year.

But while Mexican banks turned out to be healthier than their US counterparts, the recession is still causing plenty of pain. In a late September report, Fitch says the outlook for Mexican banks has rapidly worsened in recent months.

The agency predicts deteriorating earnings due to the sharp macro downturn, which in turn greatly reduces the ...