Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2012
Text Block [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes For the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, tax provisions from continuing operations of $11.0 million and $2.5 million were recorded, respectively. The increase in the tax provision in the first half of 2012 as compared to the first half of 2011 was due to a higher federal tax provision resulting principally from the recording of the benefit of the Company's federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) in the fourth quarter of 2011 as further described below. HNH had NOLs of approximately $185 million as of December 31, 2010 and had established a full valuation allowance against its federal deferred tax assets. As earnings were recorded in the first half of 2011, HNH recognized the benefit from the utilization of its NOLs, thereby reducing tax expense. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company changed its judgment regarding the realizability of its deferred tax assets, and, as of December 31, 2011, reversed most of its remaining deferred tax valuation allowance, thus recording a tax benefit of the future NOLs at that time. As of December 31, 2011, HNH had federal NOLs of approximately $183 million and a related deferred tax asset of $64.1 million was recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011. In the first half of 2012, there was no benefit from the utilization of NOLs recorded since the benefit had been recognized in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the non-cash federal tax expense resulting from first half 2012 earnings was recorded in the tax provision in the statement of operations. The effective tax rate in the first half of 2012 was 40.7%.

Income Taxes

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2012

For the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, tax provisions from continuing operations of $11.0 million and $2.5 million were recorded, respectively. The increase in the tax provision in the first half of 2012 as compared to the first half of 2011 was due to a higher federal tax provision resulting principally from the recording of the benefit of the Company's federal net operating loss carryforwards (“NOLs”) in the fourth quarter of 2011 as further described below.

HNH had NOLs of approximately $185 million as of December 31, 2010 and had established a full valuation allowance against its federal deferred tax assets. As earnings were recorded in the first half of 2011, HNH recognized the benefit from the utilization of its NOLs, thereby reducing tax expense. In the fourth quarter of 2011, the Company changed its judgment regarding the realizability of its deferred tax assets, and, as of December 31, 2011, reversed most of its remaining deferred tax valuation allowance, thus recording a tax benefit of the future NOLs at that time. As of December 31, 2011, HNH had federal NOLs of approximately $183 million and a related deferred tax asset of $64.1 million was recorded on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2011.

In the first half of 2012, there was no benefit from the utilization of NOLs recorded since the benefit had been recognized in the fourth quarter of 2011, and the non-cash federal tax expense resulting from first half 2012 earnings was recorded in the tax provision in the statement of operations. The effective tax rate in the first half of 2012 was 40.7%.