What's going on?

Plant-based meat substitute maker Beyond Meat increased the price and size of its initial public offering (IPO) thanks to stronger investor appetite ahead of it �going public� on Thursday.

What does this mean?

The California-based vegan meat firm is raising 25% more cash than it initially planned, valuing the company at $1.5 billion. Although Beyond Meat�s yet to turn a profit, 2018 sales were beyond double the previous year�s: a sign that some consumers are setting aside their carnivorous cravings.

The recent trend towards veganism has been substantial: a third of people in the UK now regularly purchase plant-based milk. More and more consumers are cutting down their meat consumption or shunning it completely, citing both health and environmental reasons. And millennials going vegan poses a major threat to incumbent burger kings. Tyson Foods, the world�s second-biggest meat company, just sold its 6.5% stake in Beyond Meat, possibly because it�s creating its own �alternative protein� project � and what about that veggie Whopper? (tweet this)

Why should I care?

For markets: Uber is raring to go.

2019 looks set to be a bumper year for IPOs, with little unicorn piggies WeWork, Airbnb, and Uber shortly headed to market. WeWork parent The We Company filed paperwork for its listing on Monday, and rumors abound that Uber�s IPO (scheduled for next week) sold out after just three days of investor meetings. Japanese conglomerate SoftBank will be watching closely, given that Uber and WeWork are two of its $100 billion Vision Fund�s biggest investments.

For you personally: Ethical investing has never been cheaper.

Intensifying competition among �passive investment� providers has seen a drastic fall in fees, making investing in companies with a higher purpose more cost effective than ever. And as millennials reach their prime spending years, those providers are looking to more closely align their products with the tastes and aspirations of the generation. In fact, given more than $30 trillion is expected to fall under the control of US millennials alone in the coming years, ethical investing is projected to become a significantly larger part of investment portfolios.