by Patrick Fearon-Hernandez, CFA, and Bill O’Grady | PDF

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Over the past month, unrest has developed in Kazakhstan.  The unrest began as protests against rising fuel prices, but it soon blossomed into broader, more widespread, and violent civil disorder that had the appearance of an inter-elite conflict.  Although Central Asia doesn’t usually garner the world’s attention, instability in the region could affect larger countries, such as China, Russia, and India.  The volatility in Kazakhstan was also something of a surprise as the country has tended to be stable during its period of independence since the fall of the Soviet Union.

Despite being often overlooked by the Western media, Kazakhstan is an important country.  It’s a major oil producer and the world’s dominant supplier of uranium.  Oil prices, already elevated, rose further on fears that the Kazakh disorder would lead to additional supply disruptions.  Uranium and associated equities also rose in price on the reports.  In this report, we begin with some background on Kazakhstan, including a short history and a discussion of the region’s role in Russia’s imperial behavior.  We next delve into the reasons for the January unrest and the way it played out for Kazakh and Russian leaders.  As always, we conclude with market ramifications.

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