Now it is at the epicentre of a property crash that threatens to engulf the Nordic state's economy.
It has said it plans on selling roughly 6 billion Swedish crowns worth of assets this year.
Speculators are betting that the stock price has further to fall.
SBB shares are subject to more short-selling - a bet that the stock price will drop - than any other Swedish company, according to data from the financial regulator.
"If, on the other hand, the SBB will be bought up, then the small shareholders will probably lose everything."
Persons:
Maria De Geer, who've, Ilija Batljan, Batljan, Robert Bergqvist, SEB, Leiv Synnes, pare, De Geer, Pablo Mayo, Elaine Hardcastle
Organizations:
SBB, Swedish Shareholders Association, Organisation for Economic Cooperation, Development, Asset Management, SBB Treasury Oyj, Reuters, Thomson
Locations:
STOCKHOLM, FRANKFURT, Sweden, Swedish, Cerqueiro, London