Business Segment Information (Tables)

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2017

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Holding Percentage of Subsidiaries

Business segment	Entity	% controlled at September 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 September 30,						Nine months ended September 30,
	2016			2017			2016			2017
	(unaudited)
	(In millions)
Net sales:
Chemicals	$	356.1		$	464.5		$	1,030.6		$	1,275.7
Component products		28.4			26.9			82.6			86.9
Waste management		13.6			18.4			29.9			60.4
Real estate management and development		8.7			5.1			15.8			21.0
Total net sales	$	406.8		$	514.9		$	1,158.9		$	1,444.0
Cost of sales:
Chemicals	$	281.1		$	312.9		$	860.6		$	891.8
Component products		19.0			18.8			56.5			59.6
Waste management		14.1			11.2			39.4			45.8
Real estate management and development		7.3			3.4			12.9			15.5
Total cost of sales	$	321.5		$	346.3		$	969.4		$	1,012.7
Gross margin:
Chemicals	$	75.0		$	151.6		$	170.0		$	383.9
Component products		9.4			8.1			26.1			27.3
Waste management		(.5	)		7.2			(9.5	)		14.6
Real estate management and development		1.4			1.7			2.9			5.5
Total gross margin	$	85.3		$	168.6		$	189.5		$	431.3
Operating income (loss):
Chemicals	$	30.1		$	93.9		$	45.8		$	221.9
Component products		4.4			3.4			11.5			12.5
Waste management		(5.1	)		4.0			(23.0	)		(167.0	)
Real estate management and development		.3			1.3			(5.1	)		3.1
Total operating income		29.7			102.6			29.2			70.5
General corporate items:
Securities earnings		6.8			7.5			20.5			21.7
Insurance recoveries		.1			.1			.4			.2
Termination fee		—			—			—			4.0
General expenses, net		(9.1	)		(7.7	)		(29.2	)		(34.8	)
Loss on prepayment of debt, net		—			(7.1	)		—			(7.1	)
Interest expense		(15.9	)		(16.3	)		(47.4	)		(47.9	)
Income (loss) before income taxes	$	11.6		$	79.1		$	(26.5	)	$	6.6