This script transforms a CSV file containing dividend and interest data into a new format where dates are columns, stock symbols are rows, and payouts are placed in the corresponding cells. It supports aggregating payouts by individual dates or by months.

• Input File: Accepts an input CSV file containing dividend data.
• Aggregation Options: Use the -m flag to aggregate payouts by month.
• Output File: Generates transformed_dividends.csv with the organized data.

1. Run the Script with Required Arguments:

   • Basic Usage (aggregate by individual dates):

     python3 transform_dividends.py dividends.csv

   • Aggregate by Month (using the -m flag):

     python3 transform_dividends.py dividends.csv -m

     or

     python3 transform_dividends.py dividends.csv --monthly

2. Check the Output:

   After running the script, a new file named transformed_dividends.xls will be created. Open this file with a spreadsheet application like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets to view the transformed data.

The output will have individual dates as columns:

Ticker,1/12/2024,1/16/2024,2/1/2024,2/15/2024,3/1/2024,3/12/2024,3/15/2024,...
AG,,,,,,,1.58,,,,,,1.58,,,,,,,1.58,,,,,

The output will have months as columns (formatted as MM/YYYY):

Ticker,01/2024,02/2024,03/2024,04/2024,05/2024,06/2024,07/2024,08/2024,09/2024
AG,,,1.58,,,1.58,,,1.58,,,
FLKR,,,,,,129.49,,,,
GOLD,,,127.52,,128.37,,,129.07

Note: The payouts for the same ticker within the same month are summed together.

• Date Format: The script expects dates in the MM/DD/YYYY format in the input CSV file.
• Dependencies: Uses standard Python libraries (csv, sys, argparse, collections). No additional packages are required.
• Python Version: Ensure you're using Python 3.x to run the script.

If you get this error:

KeyError: 'Trade Date'

Use dos2unix on the CSV file first.