The Ferengi Market Exchange is a center of Ferengi commerce throughout the Quadrant. The exact structure and rules of the Exchange are unknown, but it does have some similarities to financial market indecies such as Wall Street and may involve the trading of shares in Ferengi companies like Slug-o-Cola.
The Exchange is viewed as a significant indicator of the overall financial health of the Ferengi Alliance. Consequently, a drastic change in the Exchange could have political as well as economic repurcussions within the Alliance. Grand Nagus Smeet, the only Nagus ever assassinated, oversaw the greatest drop in the value of the Exchange prior to 2373 when a single-day drop of 199 points nearly caused the overthrow of Grand Nagus Zek. (DS9: "Ferengi Love Songs")