Is McDonald's Stock Halal?
McDonald's Corporation · MCD · NYSE
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) passes the screens we can compute (data as of 2026-03-31) — interest-bearing debt / market cap 19.7%, cash + interest-bearing securities / market cap 0.6%, impermissible income / total revenue 0.2% — but one screen requires case-by-case judgment. It is not held by Shariah-screened ETFs SPUS or HLAL.
Financial data as of 2026-03-31 · Screening basis: AAOIFI · Last reviewed 2026-06-14
HalalWallet is not a Shariah authority and does not issue religious rulings. We compile the most complete public record of what Shariah scholars, screening authorities, and mainstream standards say — reproduced from primary sources with dates and citations — and let you decide.
Do the halal screening authorities agree?
- HalalWallet (AAOIFI)· Doubtful
HalalWallet (AAOIFI) rates McDonald's Corporation doubtful; no other recognized authority has a published position.
Stances are normalized from each authority's own dated public position. Disagreement usually reflects a methodology or standard difference (ratio timing, market-cap vs total-assets denominator), not an error. For the fund screens (Wahed/HLAL, SP Funds/SPUS), only a confirmed holding that passed the fund's screen counts as a pass — a non-holding is left blank because absence can reflect index scope.
Is McDonald's Stock Halal?
McDonald's Corporation (MCD) passes the screens we can compute (data as of 2026-03-31) — interest-bearing debt / market cap 19.7%, cash + interest-bearing securities / market cap 0.6%, impermissible income / total revenue 0.2% — but one screen requires case-by-case judgment. It is not held by Shariah-screened ETFs SPUS or HLAL.
- Interest-bearing debt / market cap: 19.7% (< 30%) — Pass
- Cash + interest-bearing securities / market cap: 0.6% (< 30%) — Pass
- Impermissible income / total revenue: 0.2% (< 5%) — Pass
- Mainstream Shariah standards disagree on this company — see the cross-standard table below.
- Financial ratios sourced from filings as of 2026-03-31.
How we read the evidence
HalalWallet's editorial synthesis of the screens, scholar positions, and sources documented on this page — not a religious ruling.
McDonald's is, at its core, a franchising and food-service business: of its $26.9 billion in 2025 revenue, $16.5 billion came from franchised-restaurant rents and royalties and $9.7 billion from company-operated restaurant sales. Earning rents and royalties and selling food are permissible activities, so the business screen does not turn on the revenue model itself but on specific menu categories.
Two factual points matter for a Muslim investor. First, McDonald's sells pork products such as bacon and sausage in many markets, and the McRib in some. Second, in several international markets, particularly in Europe, some McDonald's outlets serve beer. The company does not break out pork or alcohol revenue, so the exact share cannot be cited; both are a minority of overall menu sales. Investors who screen on business activity should be aware these categories exist even though they are not separately quantified, and dividend purification is the usual tool for the impermissible portion.
McDonald's is in the S&P 500 yet does not appear in SPUS as of June 11, 2026, and it is absent from HLAL as well. SPUS applies both an industry screen and a debt-to-market-cap threshold; large restaurant operators frequently fail Shariah screens on leverage, and McDonald's notably carries negative book equity from years of debt-funded share buybacks, but the fund does not publish a per-stock reason, so the precise cause of exclusion cannot be stated. The practical takeaway is that McDonald's currently sits outside both major US Shariah funds, and an investor should verify a live screener and the specific concerns before relying on any verdict.
Business Activity Screen
McDonald's Corporation franchises and operates quick-service restaurants in more than 100 countries; about 95% of its 45,356 restaurants at year-end 2025 were franchised. Per its fiscal 2025 results (year ended December 31, 2025; 10-K filed February 2026), total revenues were $26,885 million, comprising revenues from franchised restaurants $16,548M, sales by company-owned and operated restaurants $9,690M, and other revenues $647M.
McDonald's primary revenue is from selling food and from franchise rents and royalties, which are permissible in form. Two product/category issues arise: (1) pork products (bacon, sausage, the McRib in some markets) are sold in many markets, and (2) in a number of international markets (notably parts of Europe) some McDonald's restaurants serve beer. The company does not separately disclose pork or alcohol revenue, so their share is not quantifiable from filings; both are a minority of menu sales. McDonald's is an S&P 500 constituent but is absent from the SPUS holdings dated 2026-06-11; a commonly cited reason for screen failure among large restaurant chains is balance-sheet leverage (McDonald's reports negative shareholders' equity due to debt-funded buybacks), but SPUS does not publish a stock-level reason, so this cannot be confirmed.
Financial Ratio Screen
| Screen | Value | AAOIFI limit | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Interest-bearing debt / market cap | 19.7% | < 30% | Pass |
| Cash + interest-bearing securities / market cap | 0.6% | < 30% | Pass |
| Impermissible income / total revenueInterest income only — verify other impermissible revenue lines in the 10-K | 0.2% | < 5% | Pass |
Spot market cap at research date (consider trailing average for borderline names). Data as of 2026-03-31 · thresholds per AAOIFI Shariah standards.
This verdict uses the AAOIFI standard — the most widely used and, at a 30% debt limit, the most conservative mainstream Shariah standard. Interest-bearing debt and interest-bearing securities each stay under 30% of market cap, and impermissible income under 5% of revenue. Other standards (Dow Jones Islamic, S&P Shariah, MSCI Islamic, FTSE Yasaar) use ~33% limits or screen against total assets, so a borderline company can be rated differently by each. How we screen & why screeners disagree →
How McDonald's screens across Shariah standards
The standards disagree on this company. It passes some Shariah screens and fails others — which is exactly why you may see a different answer in different apps. Our headline verdict uses AAOIFI, the strictest and most widely cited mainstream standard.
| Standard | Debt | Cash & interest securities | Limit / basis | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAOIFI (our standard) | 19.7% | 0.6% | < 30% of market cap | Pass |
| Dow Jones Islamic / S&P Shariah thresholdDow Jones and S&P apply this limit against a trailing 24–36-month average market cap; shown here on the same point-in-time market cap for comparison. | 19.7% | 0.6% | < 33% of market cap | Pass |
| MSCI Islamic / FTSE Yasaar basisTotal-assets denominator. MSCI/FTSE also apply entry/exit buffers and a receivables screen we do not reproduce. | 66.8% | 1.9% | < 33.33% of total assets | Fail |
HalalWallet computation reproducing each standard's threshold and denominator from public filings (balance sheet as of 2026-03-31) — not the providers' licensed index determinations, which can differ. Debt is interest-bearing borrowings (operating leases excluded). The impermissible-income screen (< 5% of revenue) is common to all of these standards and is shown in the ratio table above. Dow Jones and S&P apply their limit against a trailing 24–36-month average market cap; MSCI and FTSE add entry/exit buffers and a receivables screen. Full methodology →
Other stocks where Shariah screeners disagree
These companies pass under some mainstream standards and fail under others — the same pattern as this verdict. That is why two apps can show different answers.
AbbVieABBV
Passes market-cap screens · fails MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
Air Products and ChemicalsAPD
Passes market-cap screens · fails MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
AirbnbABNB
Passes market-cap screens · fails MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
AmgenAMGN
Passes market-cap screens · fails MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
APAAPA
Fails AAOIFI market-cap · passes MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
AppLovinAPP
Passes market-cap screens · fails MSCI/FTSE (total assets)
Conditions
Our computed AAOIFI financial-ratio screen passes on the latest filing data, but both major U.S. Shariah-screened ETFs — SPUS (S&P Shariah methodology) and HLAL (FTSE Shariah methodology) — exclude McDonald's Corporation from their holdings as of our June 2026 check, even though it is in their parent indices. Professional screens apply filing-level business-activity analysis (alcohol, pork, tobacco, or media revenue share) and different ratio bases that an automated ratio screen cannot replicate. That divergence usually signals an impermissible-revenue question. Treat this as unresolved until the segment revenue in the latest annual filing is verified line by line.
Scholars' & Screeners' Positions
Published positions, cited as stated. Screeners can reach different conclusions on the same company because of ratio timing and methodology differences — we report the disagreement rather than flatten it.
SP Funds S&P 500 Sharia ETF (SPUS)
Not held in SPUS as of 2026-06-11. Absence can reflect screen failure or index scope — verify before citing as a screen outcome.
Source →Wahed FTSE USA Shariah ETF (HLAL)
Not held in HLAL as of 2026-06-11. Absence can reflect screen failure or index scope — verify before citing as a screen outcome.
Source →
What to do instead
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The Final Step: Your Scholar Conversation
Major whether McDonald's Corporation is halal decisions involve nuances that vary by scholarly opinion and personal circumstance — which is why HalalWallet is built as the research step, not the ruling. We do the homework on comparisons, structures, and oversight; a qualified Islamic scholar, your local imam, or a Shariah-certified financial advisor covers what no comparison site can — guidance specific to your situation. Bring your shortlist to that conversation so it starts at the decision, not the basics.
How to use this comparison: HalalWallet is an independent educational comparison platform — by design, we do not provide financial, legal, or religious advice. We do the research homework so your final checks are quick and personal.
Product structures and Shariah oversight vary by provider, so finish with three built-in steps:
- Confirm current terms and halal compliance directly with the provider — their quote is final.
- Review the contract structure (Murabaha, Ijara, Musharakah, etc.) and any disclosed Shariah board opinions.
- Bring your shortlist to a qualified Islamic finance advisor or scholar, so the conversation is about your situation, not the basics.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sources and review process
This page is reviewed against HalalWallet editorial standards and source documentation.
Reviewed by: HalalWallet Editorial Team
Last reviewed: 2026-07-01
- MCD latest quarterly filing (balance sheet 2026-03-31)
- AAOIFI Shariah Standards
- McDonald's Q4/Full-Year 2025 earnings release (SEC EDGAR, 8-K exhibit)
- McDonald's FY2025 10-K (SEC EDGAR)
- SPUS holdings (SP Funds)
- HLAL Schedule of Investments 2026-02-28 (SEC EDGAR)
- HalalWallet Methodology
- Editorial Policy
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- Halal verdict corpus (JSON)
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