Stock AnalysisJuly 15, 2026 · 5 min read

Is AECOM Stock (ACM) Halal? A Complete Analysis

AECOM is a global infrastructure consulting firm providing planning, design, engineering, and program management for transportation, water, and buildings projects. Is ACM permissible for Muslim investors? Here is the full Sharia screening breakdown.

Time-sensitive screening snapshot: financial ratios and business mix can change after each filing. This is educational research, not a fatwa or investment advice. Verify the latest filing and your preferred Sharia standard before acting.

The Short Answer

AECOM stock (ACM) is doubtful on our current filing-based screen. Infrastructure engineering and consulting is generally permissible, and the March 31, 2026 filing shows known asset ratios within the examined limits. Activity and income treatment remain incomplete, so this is not an unconditional halal certification.

Current quantitative Sharia screen

Based on 10-Q figures for the period ended 2026-03-31; calculated 2026-07-15.

USD · millions
Interest-bearing debt / assets
22.63%Within limit
Below 33.333% under FTSE Yasaar

2,717.244 / 12,007.347

Cash + interest-bearing securities / assets
8.61%Within limit
Below 33.333% under FTSE Yasaar

1,034.257 / 12,007.347

Receivables + cash / assets
29.14%Within limit
Below 50% under FTSE Yasaar

3,498.953 / 12,007.347

FTSE Yasaar
v4.6, February 2026
Financial
Incomplete
Overall
Incomplete

Debt/assets is 22.63%, liquidity is 8.61% and receivables plus cash is 29.14%, below examined FTSE limits, but income treatment and activity remain incomplete.

MSCI Islamic (total-assets series)
October 2024 methodology
Financial
Pass
Overall
Incomplete

Debt/assets is 22.63%, liquidity is 8.61% and receivables plus cash is 29.14%, below examined MSCI total-assets limits; activity remains incomplete.

Malaysia SAC financial ratios
single 5% activity benchmark adopted November 2025
Financial
Pass
Overall
Incomplete

Debt/assets is 22.63% and liquidity is 8.61%, below the examined 33% limits; activity remains incomplete and this is not an official classification.

Market-cap denominator methods
MSCI M-Series, S&P and Dow Jones methods differ
Financial
Not calculated
Overall
Incomplete

A licensed historical market-cap series is not stored and activity classification remains incomplete.

Business-activity disclosure

AECOM provides infrastructure planning, design, engineering, program management and construction management. Professional engineering services are generally permissible, while government and project end uses require review.

Limitation: The filing does not provide a reproducible prohibited-revenue numerator for defense-adjacent or other end uses, and a universal gross-interest-income treatment is not inferred.

Purification

No scholar-approved purification percentage is inferred from the filing's interest-income disclosure.

Inputs, assumptions and primary sources
  • Amounts are USD millions converted from AECOM's thousands-of-dollars presentation for March 31, 2026.
  • Debt combines $2.248 million short-term debt, $60.714 million current long-term debt and $2,654.282 million long-term debt; operating leases are excluded.
  • Cash includes $802.442 million corporate cash and $231.815 million cash in consolidated joint ventures.
  • Net accounts receivable is $2,464.696 million; contract assets of $2,164.244 million are disclosed separately and are not included in this input.
  • Six-month revenue is $7,631.977 million; gross interest income is disclosed but no prohibited-revenue numerator is provided.

This is a reproducible financial screen, not a fatwa. A failed total-assets screen can coexist with a pass under a market-cap methodology. ZakatInvest keeps the qualitative assessment separate so numerical thresholds do not erase material context.

Sharia Screening Methodology

Islamic scholars use several criteria to screen stocks:

  • Business activity screen: Is the company's primary business halal?
  • Debt ratio: Total debt / market cap must be under 33%
  • Interest income: Interest income / total revenue must be under 5%
  • Haram revenue: Revenue from haram sources must be under 5%
  • Receivables ratio: Total receivables / total assets must be under 49–70% (varies by board)

What AECOM Does

AECOM (headquartered in Dallas, Texas) is one of the world's largest infrastructure consulting firms. It provides:

  • Design and engineering: Planning and design for highways, bridges, transit, airports, ports, and rail systems.
  • Water and environmental: Water treatment, flood protection, and environmental remediation and management.
  • Buildings and places: Design and engineering for commercial, institutional, and public buildings.
  • Program and construction management: Managing large capital programs on behalf of public and private clients.

AECOM plans and designs the physical infrastructure that societies depend on — roads, water systems, transit, and public buildings. This is foundational, permissible professional-services work.

Current Filing-Based Quantitative Screen

Based on AECOM's most recent financial statements:

  • Debt / Assets: 22.63% — below the examined limits ✅
  • Liquidity / Assets: 8.61% — below the examined limits ✅
  • Receivables + Cash / Assets: 29.14% — below the examined limits ✅
  • Business activity and income: Not fully quantifiable from the filing ⚠️

The known asset ratios pass the examined MSCI and Malaysia proxies. Activity and income treatment remain incomplete; no official index membership or scholar ruling is implied.

Concerns to Be Aware Of

1. Moderate Debt Load

AECOM carries a moderate amount of debt. This is a primary screening item.

Action required: Confirm that total debt / market cap stays under the 33% threshold using the latest filings.

2. Services-Model Receivables

Engineering-services firms carry billed and unbilled receivables tied to long-running projects, which can make the receivables ratio meaningful.

Action required: Confirm total receivables / total assets against your screening board's threshold (49–70%).

3. Government and Defense-Adjacent Work

A portion of AECOM's revenue comes from government programs, some defense-adjacent. Standard screening does not treat civil-infrastructure government work as haram, but stricter investors may want to review the mix. The filing does not provide a complete, scholar-approved purification treatment, so investors should not infer one from this article.

Methodology Interpretation

The current known financial result is PASS under the examined MSCI and Malaysia asset proxies, with activity and income fields incomplete. This is our filing-based analysis, not a third-party classification.

  • FTSE Yasaar asset screen — financial incomplete
  • MSCI total-assets proxy — financial pass
  • Malaysia SAC asset ratios — financial pass

Bottom Line

AECOM (ACM) is doubtful on the current filing-based screen. Its infrastructure-engineering business is generally permissible and known asset ratios pass, but activity and income data remain incomplete.

Re-screen after the next filing and obtain scholar guidance if missing activity or income data is material to your decision.

🔍 Check Other Stocks

Want to check if another stock is halal? Use our free screener.

Open Halal Checker →
ACM verdict card: DOUBTFUL — current screening available — screening summary, concerns & similar assetsView →
⏭ Up Next
What Makes a Stock Halal?

How do Islamic scholars determine if a stock is halal? Learn the 4 Sharia screening criteria used by major Islamic indices and how to apply them yours...

Read it now
💰
Already know you want to invest halal?
Get 50% off Islamicly — comprehensive halal screening + digital gold + portfolios.
Use code:ZAKAT50→ 50% OFF
Use Code ZAKAT50 →
📋

Get the Free 5-Minute Halal Stock Checklist

The 4 screens scholars use, with thresholds — plus occasional halal investing insights. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.