Assignment Brief 1 for BUS415
Module Title
Module Leader/ Teaching Team
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Assignment title
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A1- Navigating Investments: Valuations
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Assessment type
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Individual Report
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Word count or equivalents
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1500 (+/- 10%)
Word count excludes: [Contents pages, executive summary, tables, figures, appendices and bibliography
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Weighting
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50% of the final grade
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Pass Mark
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40% (UG)
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Submission method
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Turnitin/ Blackboard
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Submission format & File title
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Student must submit both an Excel sheet and a Word document using the submission link assigned to your specific tutor. The Excel document should include all your calculations for tasks 1 and 2, while the Word document should contain a summary of task 1, along with the report for task 2.
XLS, DOC Guidance for multimedia files
Clearly label your work using the filename: ‘Module Code – Student name or number.DOC’.
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AI Classification Tier
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Integrated
Check the section Assessment details for specific requirements that apply to this assignment.
See AI Classification guidance for more information.
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Key Submission Dates
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Milestone
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Date & Time
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Formative Submission
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Week 6 &7 during seminar
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Formative Feedback* available by
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Week 6 &7 during seminar
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Summative Submission
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Midday (12:00 UK-time) on 07/11/2025
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Summative Feedback available by
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28 / 11 / 2025
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Formative feedback* helps you improve your work ahead of final submission. Use it to:
- Identify strengths and areas for improvement
- Apply assessment criteria to guide your development
- Practise giving and receiving peer feedback
- Build confidence in recognising and producing high-quality work
Cover sheet
Your assignment must contain the Regent’s Mandatory Assignment Cover Sheet. Ensure you have confirmed that you have read, understood, and followed the Regent’s policies regarding Academic Misconduct and generative artificial intelligence use.
Learning outcomes assessed
MLO 04 Decision Making
MLO 05 Communication
MLO 06 Digital Data and Tools
Assessment Details
Aims & Objectives
Task 1 is designed to assess your ability to apply descriptive statistics in a financial setting by analysing stock market data. You will choose a company to invest in, gather daily stock price data, and use Excel to calculate key statistical measures. Additionally, you will visualise the data and provide investment recommendations based on your analysis.
Task 2 is designed to assess your ability to use AI tools responsibly as a research, creativity aid, and to showcase critical evaluation of AI-generated ideas. It will also evaluate your skills in building a financial model and applying investment appraisal technique to make strategic business recommendations. You will support your analysis with an Excel-based financial model, showcasing your expertise in financial analysis, strategic thinking, and decision-making.
Task Requirements (You Must complete both tasks)
Task1: (Weight 30%)
Assume you have successfully saved some money and are now considering making your money work for you by investing in the stock market. You are interested in finding a publicly traded company that could provide promising returns on your investment.
Required:
a) Choose a publicly traded company that interests you (Please confirm your chosen company with your seminar tutor, no duplicated companies are allowed within the same seminar group). Then collect the daily stock prices for the past year from 01/09/2024 to 01/09/2025 from a financial database such as:
- Investing.com (registration required)
- Macrotrends.net
b) Using Excel functions, calculate the daily stock returns and then the mean, median, mode, and standard deviation of the daily returns.
c) Create a graph in Excel to visually assess returns volatility over the year.
d) Write a concise summary (no more than 500 words) that includes:
· A brief introduction to the company, its industry and market presence.
· Visual representations of the stock price returns.
· A detailed discussion of your findings from the calculated statistics in (b).
· A conclusion of whether you consider the stock a wise investment based on the statistical measures and observed trends.
Task 2: (Weight 70%)
Helena Sweet, a family-owned business operating from London's bustling Canary Wharf Shopping Centre, is facing stiff competition. To stay relevant and attract more customers, the business is considering a £30,000 investment in new specialised equipment that will be strictly used for the new cake offering and will have no residual value after three years. Helena Sweet also has the option to invest the £30,000 in a coffee stand and machine, which is projected to yield an NPV of £300,000.
Your task is to design an innovative cake concept for Helena Sweet and build a financial model in Excel that will map out the expected cash flows and feasibility for this new cake concept over the next three years. Then write a report detailing your analysis and provide recommendations to the company’s owner regarding whether to invest in the new equipment for the new cake or the alternative coffee stand.
The following information will guide you in designing the new cake concept, building financial model in Excel, and report writing.
New Cake Concept:
· Use an AI tool (e.g., ChatGPT, Deepseek, Google Gemini) to design three cake product ideas that could attract Helena Sweet’s target market.
· Select one idea and develop it further using your own market research, considering local market trend, seasonality, or dietary preferences to create a clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
Recipe and Variable Cost:
· Use AI to generate a cake recipe for your chosen concept and estimate ingredient quantities per cake. (please select a simple recipe, as there are no additional marks for making it complicated)
· Verify ingredient prices manually using UK supermarket websites.
· Calculate the variable cost per cake and per piece (number of pieces per cake is based on your recipe).
Fixed Cost:
The annual fixed costs associated with this new cake concept are estimated as follows:
- Rent: £5,000
- Wages: £10,000
- Marketing: £15,000
- Overhead: £5,000
· Calculate the annual fixed cost for the new cake concept.
Pricing Strategy:
· Set a selling price per piece based on a markup on variable costs.
· Use AI to explore typical markups but ensure your final pricing decision is justified with your own market research.
Market Demand:
Assume that the estimated demand probabilities and sales volumes (per piece) for the new cake concept over the next three years are as follows:
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Year 1
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Year 2
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Year 3
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Sales (Per Piece)
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Probability
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Sales (Piece)
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Probability
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Sales (Piece)
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Probability
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100,000
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0.2
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140,000
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0.3
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180,000
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0.5
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120,000
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0.4
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150,000
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0.3
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160,000
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0.3
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125,000
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0.3
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160,000
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0.2
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120,000
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0.1
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130,000
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0.1
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200,000
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0.2
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100,000
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0.1
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· Use these probabilities table to calculate the expected sales per year:
· Calculate the yearly revenue using your chosen selling price per piece of cake and expected sales per year.
Cash Flow and NPV analysis:
· Build an excel model to calculate the net cash flow for the three-year period.
· From the calculated net cash flow, determine the NPV using a 10% discount rate, which reflects the current cost of capital.
Report Writing:
Write a report (Max 1,000 words) including:
· Introduction: Describe the cake idea, objectives, and market opportunity, supported by trends and consumer behaviours.
· Financial Analysis: Present total demand, fixed costs, variable costs, and selling price (pricing strategy). Justify the markup and discuss any risks associated with these projections.
· NPV Analysis: Present the NPV calculations, highlighting any limitations of this financial measure.
· Recommendations: Provide a recommendation for whether Helena Sweet should proceed with the cake idea or the coffee stand and explain your choice.
· AI Reflection: Summaries how AI tool helped you with product design, and how you verified and improved these outputs. (Max 250 words)
· AI reflection Appendix: Include screenshots of your AI prompts and responses.
Referencing
Identify the sources that you have used by citing them in the text of your assignment and provide an accurate and complete list of all sources at the end of your document using the Harvard system. Our Library has a comprehensive referencing support section to help you.
Use of Generative AI
Your AI Classification Tier for this assignment is Integrated. You may use AI tools for
- Brainstorm product ideas (e.g., cake flavours, design, dietary trend)
- Suggest a cake recipe (ingredient list, quantity)
- Provide industry insights (e.g., typical markup percentage, bakery trends), but must justify them with research.
All AI use must be referenced appropriately, Read the library guidance.
All use of AI tools that are permitted by the assignment brief, but do not appear in the references (e.g. designing presentation slides), must be clearly marked on your Mandatory AI Log placed after your list of sources at the end of your document as below.
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Name of Tool
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Usage
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Link to Platform.
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Lorem ipsum
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Lorem ipsum
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Lorem ipsum
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Lorem ipsum
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Lorem ipsum
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Lorem ipsum
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Academic Integrity & Misconduct
Always do your own work, cite sources, and follow the rules. See the Academic Misconduct guidance for details.
Time management
To help you plan and manage your time we estimate on average that you will spend 20 hours to complete this assignment, however this will vary from student to student. Should you need support you can contact the Academic Skills team
Marking
Task 1: (30%)
1. Data Analysis Using Excel (15%)
o Correct calculation of stock returns, mean, median, mode, and standard deviation of the daily stock returns. (10%)
o Creation of a graph with correct labels to visualise returns volatility over the year. (5%)
2. Summary Report (15%)
o Provide introduction to the company and its market presence. (5%)
o Discuss findings from the calculated statistics. (5%)
o Justify investment recommendation based on the analysis. (5%)
Task 2: (70%)
3. Financial Model in Excel (35%)
o Clear and well-calculated standard recipe. (10%)
o Selling price is calculated based on markup on variable cost (5%)
o Accurately mapping out expected cash flows over three years. (10%)
o Correctly calculate NPV. (10%)
4. Report Writing (35%)
o Creativity and clarity of the new cake concept, and market opportunity. (10%)
o Financial analysis detailing selling price by providing evidence of current market prices. (5%)
o NPV analysis presented with critique on limitations and insights. (5%)
o Clear and well-supported recommendation between investing in the new cake equipment or the alternative coffee machine option. (5%)
o AI reflection, critical evaluation, and AI appendix. (10%)
Marking Rubric
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Criteria
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Band 0
0%-20%
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Band 1
21%-39%
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Band 2
40%-49%
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Band 3
50%-59%
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Band 4
60%-69%
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Band 5
70%-85%
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Band 6
86%-100%
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Criterion 1: Statistical Analysis of Stock Data (Task 1) (Calculation & Interpretation)
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No calculations or entirely incorrect; no understanding of statistical measures.
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Minimal calculation attempt; major errors; very weak understanding.
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Basic calculations with errors; limited interpretation of results.
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Adequate calculations; some errors; interpretation is basic.
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Good calculations; mostly accurate; demonstrates understanding of volatility and trends.
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Very good calculations; accurate, well-presented; clear link to investment decision.
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Excellent calculations; fully accurate; insightful interpretation; highly professional presentation.
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Criterion 2: Summary Report Quality (Task 1) (Structure & Investment Recommendation)
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No clear structure; lacks company introduction or findings; no recommendation.
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Minimal structure; company intro or analysis missing; unclear recommendation.
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Basic structure; limited company context; weak justification.
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Adequate structure; reasonable company overview; basic but clear recommendation.
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Good report with clear structure, context, and logical justification.
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Very good report; strong analysis, well-presented recommendation with insight.
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Outstanding report; engaging, concise, and persuasive; highly professional tone.
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Criterion 3: Financial Model & Calculations (Task 2) (Recipe, Pricing, Cash Flows, NPV)
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No financial model; entirely inaccurate or missing calculations.
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Very weak model; many errors; no clear understanding of financial analysis.
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Basic model with multiple errors; limited Excel skills.
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Adequate model; some errors; shows understanding of key principles.
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Good model; mostly accurate; effective Excel use; justified assumptions.
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Very good model; highly accurate; well-structured and justified; advanced Excel use.
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Excellent model; flawless, professional, and insightful; demonstrates mastery of financial modelling.
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Criterion 4: Report Writing & Analysis (Task 2) (Market Analysis, Pricing, NPV Critique, Recommendations
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No clear report; missing sections or inaccurate content; lacks analysis.
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Minimal content; poor structure; recommendations unsupported.
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Basic structure; weak analysis and limited justification.
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Adequate report; includes all sections; basic analysis and reasoning.
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Good report; structured, clear, with sound justification and evaluation.
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Very good report; insightful, well-structured, and critically evaluative.
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Excellent report; highly professional, analytical, and persuasive; exceeds expectations.
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Criterion 4: AI Use, Critical Evaluation, and Reflection
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No use of AI, or uncredited/incorrect use; no screenshots or reflection.
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Limited AI use; minimal evidence of verification; screenshots incomplete or missing.
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Basic AI use; screenshots included but minimal evaluation or originality.
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Adequate AI use; clear screenshots; some verification and reflection shown.
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Good AI use; verified outputs; demonstrates thoughtful evaluation and improvement of AI suggestions.
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Very good AI use; critically engages with AI, verifies outputs, and integrates AI effectively.
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Outstanding AI use; highly reflective, demonstrates mastery of using AI ethically, effectively, and critically with full verification.
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Work as a whole
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Tasks are incomplete or missing. No evidence of achieving module learning outcomes. Disorganised, unprofessional, and lacks academic integrity.
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Very limited evidence of meeting requirements or learning outcomes. Poorly structured, unclear, and incomplete work.
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Meets some minimum requirements but demonstrates only a basic level of understanding of learning outcomes.
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Meets most requirements and learning outcomes. Adequately structured, reasonably clear, and demonstrates satisfactory professionalism.
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Meets requirements and shows good achievement of learning outcomes. Well-organised, clear, and professional with attention to formatting and referencing.
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Demonstrates strong achievement of learning outcomes. Highly coherent, polished, and professional with effective integration of all elements.
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Exceptional achievement of all requirements and learning outcomes. Work is cohesive, visually appealing, and of outstanding professional and academic quality
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