Is Arcos Dorados (ARCO) stock Halal?
September 2026 AAOIFI screening result for Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc. (ARCO): non-permissible income, pass. Interest-bearing investments, pass. Interest-bearing debt, fail. Preference shares, pass. Arcos Dorados Holdings, Inc. is not currently Shariah compliant. Re-screened monthly against AAOIFI Shariah Standard No. 21.
Arcos Dorados is a huge player in the fast-food industry, serving as the world's largest independent McDonald's franchisee. The company holds exclusive rights to operate and manage McDonald's restaurants in Latin America and the Caribbean. Spanning numerous countries, Arcos Dorados plays a crucial role in bringing this iconic fast-food experience to diverse markets, catering to a wide demographic. Before any of that matters to a Muslim investor, one question comes first: is Arcos Dorados stock Halal?
Is Arcos Dorados Shariah compliant?
Industrial businesses like Arcos Dorados usually pass the activity screen without drama. The harder test is financial: heavy assets mean heavy financing, and AAOIFI Shariah Standard No. 21 tolerates interest bearing debt and investments only below 30% of market capitalisation, ratios that shift with every move in the share price.
Does Arcos Dorados pass the business activity test?
The activity screen is only part of the picture this month: Arcos Dorados currently fails the interest-bearing debt screen, so the overall verdict is not compliant regardless of the business itself. The activity itself raises no Shariah objection; the scrutiny belongs to the financing.
Is Arcos Dorados' income Halal?
Yes, within AAOIFI's tolerance. Arcos Dorados' income from non-permissible sources stays below 5% of revenue in the September 2026 screening.
Does Arcos Dorados meet AAOIFI's debt and investment ratio requirements?
Not in full. Interest bearing debt currently exceeds the 30% cap, while the other ratio stays within it. One breach is enough to fail the screening; the ratios are reassessed monthly under our Shariah Supervisory Board.
Tabadulat is an ADGM regulated brokerage whose license covers Shari'a Compliant Regulated Activities, as the FSRA permission names them. New to the terminology? Gharar and Maysir, Sukuk, Zakat and purification are all explained in plain English.
New to the four screens? Read AAOIFI Standards Explained: What Makes a Stock Halal?



