The Short Answer
Zurn Elkay stock (ZWS) is generally considered halal for Muslim investors. Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation designs and manufactures water-safety, water-quality, flow-control, and water-management products โ including backflow preventers, drainage systems, faucets, flush valves, and drinking-water dispensers and filtration under the Elkay brand. Making products that deliver clean, safe drinking water and manage water flow is a clearly permissible activity that benefits public health, so the business-activity screen passes cleanly.
Zurn Elkay runs a relatively conservative balance sheet and has prioritized debt paydown since the 2022 merger, so the main items to verify are financial: confirm the debt and receivables ratios against the latest filings, and purify the small portion of returns attributable to incidental interest income on cash.
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 49โ70% (varies by board)
What Zurn Elkay Does
Zurn Elkay Water Solutions Corporation designs and manufactures water-management products across several categories:
- Water safety & control: Backflow preventers, pressure-reducing valves, and flow-control products.
- Drainage & specification: Commercial drainage systems, trench drains, and finish plumbing.
- Drinking water: Elkay water dispensers, bottle-filling stations, filtration, and sinks.
Making products that deliver clean, safe drinking water is a permissible activity with no haram product lines, so the business-activity screen passes cleanly.
Why It Passes (and What to Check)
1. Permissible Core Business
Zurn Elkay's revenue comes from water-management products โ there is no alcohol, gambling, tobacco, conventional-finance, or adult-content revenue. The activity screen passes without concern.
2. Debt Ratio (Confirm Against Filings)
Zurn Elkay has prioritized debt paydown since the 2022 merger, so the total-debt-to-market-cap ratio is generally within the 33% threshold; still, confirm it against the latest filings.
3. Interest Income (Purify)
Zurn Elkay earns incidental interest income on cash. Check it against the 5% threshold and purify the small corresponding portion of returns.
Financial Ratios
Based on Zurn Elkay's most recent financial statements:
- Total Debt / Market Cap: Confirm against filings โ /โ ๏ธ (threshold: under 33%)
- Interest Income: Minor โ purify โ (threshold: under 5%)
- Haram Revenue: None โ (threshold: under 5%)
- Receivables Ratio: Confirm against filings โ ๏ธ (threshold: 49โ70%, varies by board)
Assuming the balance-sheet ratios hold, Zurn Elkay screens as halal โ re-screen periodically as demand cycles with non-residential construction.
What About Purification?
Even for a clean halal holding, best practice is to purify the small portion of returns attributable to incidental interest income โ donating that share of gains to charity.
Verdict from Major Screening Agencies
Zurn Elkay stock is generally screened as halal by:
- Zoya App โ Compliant, minor purification โ
- MSCI Islamic criteria โ Compliant subject to ratios โ
- Most major Sharia advisory boards โ Halal with routine purification โ
Bottom Line
Zurn Elkay (ZWS) is generally halal for Muslim investors. The water-management products business is clearly permissible with no haram revenue lines. Confirm the debt and receivables ratios against the latest filings, purify the minor interest income, and re-screen periodically as the construction cycle moves.
Want to check if another stock is halal? Use our free screener.
Open Halal Checker โ