The financial markets : breaking-up, suburbanisation and specialisation The traditional image of a financial market is of a geographically united whole. However, the development of IT and communication technologies has led to a vertical separation of financial activities. The main result of this has been the relocation of activities from the city centres to the outskirts. This suburbanisation can be seen as the initial indicator of a more widespread relocation of financial activities - at least for the most standardised operations. In addition, the number of specialised financial markets in Europe is expected to increase, mirroring the US. It is unlikely that the Paris market will disappear on this account, but the more pertinent question ...