Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	1. Basis of Presentation Loews Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries are engaged in the following lines of business: commercial property and casualty insurance (CNA Financial Corporation (“CNA”), a 90% owned subsidiary); the operation of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs (Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (“Diamond Offshore”), a 51% owned subsidiary); transportation and storage of natural gas and natural gas liquids and gathering and processing of natural gas (Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (“Boardwalk Pipeline”), a 53% owned subsidiary); and the operation of a chain of hotels (Loews Hotels Holding Corporation (“Loews Hotels”), a wholly owned subsidiary). Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “Loews” and “Registrant” as used herein mean Loews Corporation excluding its subsidiaries and the term “Net income (loss) attributable to Loews Corporation” as used herein means Net income (loss) attributable to Loews Corporation shareholders. In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring accruals) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013. Net income for the third quarter and first nine months of each of the years is not necessarily indicative of net income for that entire year. Reference is made to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K which should be read in conjunction with these Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements. The Company presents basic and diluted net income per share on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income. Basic net income per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. Stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) of 2.6 million, 1.4 million, 2.2 million and 1.4 million shares were not included in the diluted weighted average shares amounts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 due to the exercise price being greater than the average stock price. Updated accounting guidance not yet adopted – In April of 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity.” Under the new accounting guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations should be presented as discontinued operations. The update also requires new disclosures for discontinued operations and disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. The new accounting guidance is to be applied prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014, and will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In May of 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” The core principle of the new accounting guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new accounting guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized and requires enhanced disclosures about revenue. This update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods, and can be adopted either retrospectively or as a cumulative effect adjustment at the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.

1. Basis of Presentation

Loews Corporation is a holding company. Its subsidiaries are engaged in the following lines of business: commercial property and casualty insurance (CNA Financial Corporation (“CNA”), a 90% owned subsidiary); the operation of offshore oil and gas drilling rigs (Diamond Offshore Drilling, Inc. (“Diamond Offshore”), a 51% owned subsidiary); transportation and storage of natural gas and natural gas liquids and gathering and processing of natural gas (Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, LP (“Boardwalk Pipeline”), a 53% owned subsidiary); and the operation of a chain of hotels (Loews Hotels Holding Corporation (“Loews Hotels”), a wholly owned subsidiary). Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms “Company,” “Loews” and “Registrant” as used herein mean Loews Corporation excluding its subsidiaries and the term “Net income (loss) attributable to Loews Corporation” as used herein means Net income (loss) attributable to Loews Corporation shareholders.

In the opinion of management, the accompanying unaudited Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements reflect all adjustments (consisting of only normal recurring accruals) necessary to present fairly the financial position as of September 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, the results of operations and comprehensive income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 and changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013.

Net income for the third quarter and first nine months of each of the years is not necessarily indicative of net income for that entire year.

Reference is made to the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in the 2013 Annual Report on Form 10-K which should be read in conjunction with these Consolidated Condensed Financial Statements.

The Company presents basic and diluted net income per share on the Consolidated Condensed Statements of Income. Basic net income per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Diluted net income per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities or other contracts to issue common stock were exercised or converted into common stock. Stock appreciation rights (“SARs”) of 2.6 million, 1.4 million, 2.2 million and 1.4 million shares were not included in the diluted weighted average shares amounts for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2014 and 2013 due to the exercise price being greater than the average stock price.

Updated accounting guidance not yet adopted – In April of 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-08, “Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360): Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity.” Under the new accounting guidance, only disposals representing a strategic shift in operations should be presented as discontinued operations. The update also requires new disclosures for discontinued operations and disposals that do not meet the definition of a discontinued operation. The new accounting guidance is to be applied prospectively for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2014, and will not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In May of 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606).” The core principle of the new accounting guidance is that a company should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new accounting guidance provides a five-step analysis of transactions to determine when and how revenue is recognized and requires enhanced disclosures about revenue. This update is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods, and can be adopted either retrospectively or as a cumulative effect adjustment at the date of adoption. The Company is currently evaluating the effect that adopting this new accounting guidance will have on its consolidated financial statements.