Business Segment Information (Tables)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Holding Percentage of Subsidiaries

Business segment	Entity	% controlled at June 30, 2017
Chemicals	Kronos	80	%
Component products	CompX	87	%
Waste management	WCS	100	%
Real estate management and development	BMI and LandWell	63% - 77	%

Segment Operating Performance

	Three months ended June 30,						Six months ended June 30,
	2016			2017			2016			2017
	(unaudited)
	(In millions)
Net sales:
Chemicals	$	356.0		$	441.4		$	674.5		$	811.2
Component products		27.1			30.1			54.2			60.0
Waste management		11.1			20.5			16.3			42.0
Real estate management and development		4.4			10.2			7.1			15.9
Total net sales	$	398.6		$	502.2		$	752.1		$	929.1
Cost of sales:
Chemicals	$	301.0		$	312.1		$	579.5		$	578.9
Component products		18.6			20.5			37.5			40.8
Waste management		13.6			17.9			25.3			34.6
Real estate management and development		3.2			7.9			5.6			12.1
Total cost of sales	$	336.4		$	358.4		$	647.9		$	666.4
Gross margin:
Chemicals	$	55.0		$	129.3		$	95.0		$	232.3
Component products		8.5			9.6			16.7			19.2
Waste management		(2.5	)		2.6			(9.0	)		7.4
Real estate management and development		1.2			2.3			1.5			3.8
Total gross margin	$	62.2		$	143.8		$	104.2		$	262.7
Operating income (loss):
Chemicals	$	12.7		$	73.0		$	15.7		$	128.0
Component products		3.7			4.6			7.1			9.1
Waste management		(7.1	)		(171.6	)		(17.9	)		(171.0	)
Real estate management and development		.5			1.2			(5.4	)		1.8
Total operating income (loss)		9.8			(92.8	)		(.5	)		(32.1	)
General corporate items:
Securities earnings		6.9			7.2			13.7			14.2
Insurance recoveries		.2			—			.3			.1
Termination fee		—			4.0			—			4.0
General expenses, net		(8.6	)		(14.7	)		(20.1	)		(27.1	)
Interest expense		(15.8	)		(16.0	)		(31.5	)		(31.6	)
Loss before income taxes	$	(7.5	)	$	(112.3	)	$	(38.1	)	$	(72.5	)