Complex sentence: The City is today a major business and financial centre, ranking as the leading centre of global finance; throughout the 19th century, the City served as the world's primary business centre, and continues to be a major meeting point for businesses to this day.
Split into simpler sentences: The City is today a major business and financial centre, ranking as the leading centre of global finance. Throughout the 19th century, the City served as the world's primary business centre, and continues to be a major meeting point for businesses to this day.