Now might be the time to buy Russia. Yes, really.

The oil-dependent economy is on track for a deep recession this year, and there's a risk that the West may impose more sanctions over Ukraine.

Yet Russia's stock market, currency and bonds are all bouncing higher.

After a horror year that saw the ruble roughly halve in value, Russia's currency has gained about 4% since the start of 2015 to trade at about 58 to the U.S. dollar. That compares with the record low of 80 hit in late December.

Helping revive the currency's fortunes has been a halt in oil's recent slide. Crude futures are steadier, trading just below $50 a barrel as tensions in the Middle East stoke supply concerns. That's positive for the Russian economy, which relies heavily on oil revenues.

Related: Russia's economic misery deepens

Bond markets are also showing promise. Russia's 10-year government bond yields have eased to about 11.5% from 13.5% at the start of the year. Yields, which move in the opposite direction to bond prices, are still well above where they were a year ago but the drift lower is positive.

"That's a product of broader stabilization in financial markets," said VTB chief Russia economist Vladimir Kolychev. "It seems that trend is sustainable."

Bank of America Merrill Lynch is also bullish on Russian bonds.

David Hauner, an analyst at the bank, recently picked ruble-denominated government bonds as his top bet in eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Hauner said instability in Ukraine may be steering investors away from the "best [trade] of the year."

Russian stocks have brightened too. The MICEX index has rallied more than 14% so far this year.

Related: Carlyle Group CEO says oil is the best investment right now

Fund flows appear to support the view that sentiment is shifting. The stock market saw capital inflows of $6.6 million in the week to March 25, Russian media reported, citing data from EPFR Global.

That may sound small but it's a big swing from the previous week when the markets recorded an outflow of $57.7 million.

While Russia's financial markets are calmer than they were in December, the investment climate could sour again quickly if relations with the U.S. and Europe deteriorate further, or if oil prices resume their slide -- perhaps triggered by the lifting of sanctions on Iran.

A ceasefire deal reached in February between Ukrainian forces and pro-Russian separatists remains fragile. Violence in contested eastern Ukraine appears to be receding but an escalation of fighting could trigger additional sanctions.

Andrew Risk, principal Russia analyst at London-based political risk firm GPW, said there is a "reasonably strong likelihood of more sanctions."

New trade restrictions would exacerbate Russia's economic problems. Still, ignoring Russia as an investment destination could be shortsighted.

"It's still a very large economy with potentially very interesting opportunities," Risk said. And past political tension between Russia and the West hadn't prevented successful investments in the past.

Related: Putin slashes own salary as economy tanks

CNNMoney (London) March 30, 2015: 7:20 AM ET

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Land Rover's new $200,000 SUV is most expensive ever

Land Rover unveiled the new high end version of the Range Rover, the SVAutobiography at the New York auto show Monday, which has a $199,495 price tag. That's up about $12,000 from the suggested price on the Autobiography Black model, which it replaces.

The new model includes a 550 horsepower V8 engine, up from 510 horsepower in the previous supercharged model.

Rear-seat passengers have access to a beverage chiller compartment and powered deployable tables. Styling features include a new front grille finished in graphite and polished chrome.

Related: Ultra-luxury SUVs on the way

But Land Rover might not be able to hang onto the title of most expensive SUV for long - a number of ultra-luxury SUVs are in the pipeline. Lamborghini, Bentley, Maserati and Rolls Royce all have plans for SUVs. Jaguar, which is also made by Jaguar Land Rover, recently announced plans for its first SUV, the F-PACE, due out in 2016.

The Bentley could be the first of the group to go on sale, perhaps later this year. Others are two to three years away.

But all those cars would be the first SUVs for those high priced models, while SUV's are Land Rover's core product.

Related: Ford's big Lincoln Continental is coming back

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 9:38 AM ET

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Carly Fiorina: Now a 90% chance I'll run for president in 2016

Carly Fiorina told CNN in February the chances she would run were "way over 50%." Now she says they are "higher than 90%."

In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Fiorina said the chances of her joining an already crowded field of presidential hopefuls is now "higher than 90%."

The former HP chief, who launched an unsuccessful Senate bid in 2010 against Senator Barbara Boxer of California, said she plans to officially announce her campaign in April or May.

Fiorina is billing herself as a Silicon Valley trailblazer and tech whiz with more tangible accomplishments than Hillary Clinton. She told CNN in February that the odds of her entering the race were "way over 50%."

Fiorina said her experience in the private sector, where she rose from secretary to CEO of a Fortune 100 company, gives her "a deep understanding of how the economy really works."

Related: Chances of run 'way over 50%' - CNN in February

She added that she "knows most of the world leaders on the stage today." She said she can manage large bureaucracies and is capable of "executive decision making."

Washington, she said, "has become a vast, unaccountable bureaucracy" in need of a strong leader.

Fiorina had a controversial tenure at HP from 1999 to 2005, a period marked by the bursting of the dot-com bubble and steep layoffs in the industry.

Fiorina, who was forced out by the company's board of directors, said she was "proud" of the way she managed the company through one of the worst "technology recessions" ever.

Related: The Ted Cruz economy

Related: Hillary's action figure is ready to run

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 7:17 AM ET

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5 travel spots that just got cheaper for Americans

Much of the world is on sale for Americans right now since the U.S. dollar is enjoying one of the strongest moments in modern history.

Just about everything from hotels to luxury handbags to McDonald's hamburgers is cheaper abroad than in the United States right now. When you take dollars to the foreign exchange booth, you get a lot more of another country's currency back than you used to.

If you were dreaming of a vacation to a far off destination, now is the time. While Europe may be the first destination to spring to many minds, Americans can get more bang for their buck across many other countries across the globe.

CNNMoney crunched the numbers on exchange rates, hotel costs and flight prices. Here are the top 5 places to find a bargain:

1. That European trip you always wanted. If you're dreaming of Paris, that's a steal right now. Recent roundtrip flights to Paris are as cheap as $519, according to Hopper, a travel-data site. Travelers have noticed the deals. Flight searches for New York to Paris are up nearly 10% last week compared to prior four weeks.

The reason is simple: the euro is now nearly equal with the dollar. One euro costs $1.09. Compare that to a year ago when one euro was about $1.40. (Here's more on why Europe is so cheap).

Travel to the euro area -- Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Belgium and Austria, among other nations -- is almost 20% cheaper now from a year ago. The European economy is struggling, causing more bargains and discounts.

Hotel reservations are up in Italy, Spain, and Germany, according to Priceline (PCLN, Tech30). Outside the euro zone, Norway is another good bet: the dollar has appreciated by a third over the past year. That's a lot better than usual, since Scandinavia is typically viewed as one of the more expensive places to visit.

Related: American cash is flooding into European stocks

2. Calling all Russian Vodka fans. Moscow is a can't-miss for cold-weather travelers right now. Russia's ruble has been tanking as its economy gets hurt by western sanctions and plunging oil prices.

One dollar would get you 35 roubles a year ago. Now a dollar gets you 57 roubles. Of course, this isn't just a currency problem. The conflict between Ukraine and Russia has scared travelers away. The tourism industry is trying to rebound by offering deep discounts.

Flight prices from New York to Moscow have dropped 37% on the year and hotels are 45% cheaper than a year ago, according to Hopper and Tripadvisor.

If you'd rather see the sun than sip on Stolichnaya vodka, the U.S. dollar can save you money on the other side of the equator too.

Related: Russia's economic misery deepens

3. Brazil is a bargain. Pack your bikini, speedo and SPF 30: it's the right time to go to Rio de Janiero -- or anywhere else in Brazil.

Brazil's currency, the Real, has lost almost 30% of its value against the dollar from a year ago. That means places like Rio and Sao Paulo are much cheaper to visit now.

A typical flight from New York to Rio was $1,170 last March. Now it's $856, according to Hopper, which points out that flights have gone down since the World Cup last summer.

Hotels in Brazil are 12% cheaper compared to a year ago, Tripadvisor (TRIP)data shows. By the way, you want to go now before prices possibly soar again for the Summer Olympics in 2016.

Brazil economy is also getting hurt by inflation and the end of a long commodity boom. Add on a strong dollar and you've got a recipe for Americans to B-line it to Brazil this year.

But if you want to practice Spanish instead of Portuguese, there's another steal down South.

Related: Brazil's scandalous boom to bust story

4. Colombia is calling. Colombia is one of the South America's best growth stories right now, but the U.S. dollar's rally keeps the trip cheap.

The dollar has gained 18% in value on the peso in the past year. Hotels in Colombia are 10% cheaper from a year ago, according to Tripadvisor. Flights are bit cheaper too, Hopper reports.

While many Americans still think of Colombia as the "murder capital," that image is outdated. The country is booming.

The capital of Bogota and Medellin, Colombia's second largest city, are becoming tech and cultural hubs while Colombia's beaches are beautiful. The coffee is outrageously good and cheap too.

Related: How Colombia went from murder capital to tech powerhouse

5. The South African Safari. The famous ocean views in Capetown look even better now: It's 13% cheaper for folks with dollars to vacation in South Africa. Similar to Brazil, South Africa's currency is losing value against the dollar as commodity prices slump.

Flights from New York to Capetown are down 24% from a year ago, according to Hopper. To put it another way: South Africa is more than double distance to New York than Paris, yet flights there cost a mere $130 more. If you don't mind really long flights, South Africa offers a lot of bang for your buck.

How long will these deals last? At the moment, experts predict the U.S. dollar is likely to stay strong through the end of the year, but it's unclear whether travel will pick up enough to lift flight and hotel prices even sooner. The word is getting out.

Related: $15 flight to Europe? Too good to be true

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 8:07 AM ET

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George Soros: I'll invest $1 billion in Ukraine

George Soros' philanthropic work has focused on promoting democracy in eastern Europe.

The veteran hedge fund investor told an Austrian newspaper he was prepared to invest $1 billion in the collapsing war-ravaged economy under certain circumstances.

"There are concrete investment ideas, for example in agriculture and infrastructure projects. I would put in $1 billion," he told Der Standard. "This must generate a profit. My foundation would benefit from this, not me personally."

The Hungarian-born billionaire said Europe and the U.S. must show strong political leadership over Ukraine -- that would make it more attractive to private investors. The West could provide finance at European interest rates close to zero, for example.

A spokesman for Soros said his investment would depend on the West doing "whatever it takes" to rescue Ukraine.

Soros launched his Open Society Foundations in 1979 to promote democracy and open societies. Most of their work has been focused on former Communist countries in central and eastern Europe, but they've also funded programs in Africa and the U.S.

"Ukraine is defending Europe's borders," Soros was quoted as saying. "But above all, the country is fighting for European values such as the rule of law and freedom. That is too often forgotten."

Related: Ukraine's economy teeters towards collapse

Russia's seizure of Crimea a year ago, and its support for armed rebels in eastern Ukraine, has sent Ukraine racing towards the economic abyss.

Ukraine's currency, the hryvnia, has lost nearly 60% of its value against the dollar in just a year. GDP shrank by 7% in 2014. It's expected to fall by another 5% this year.

And while the country secured an IMF-led international bailout package in February, the chances of recovery any time soon look small.

Ukraine faces a number of daunting challenges: corruption costs the government $10 billion a year in lost revenue, IMF-mandated austerity -- such as gas price hikes and pension cuts -- are hugely unpopular, banks are collapsing under the weight of bad loans, and interest rates are the highest they've been in 15 years.

Related: Soros urges Europe to throw Ukraine $50 billion lifeline

CNNMoney (London) March 30, 2015: 12:05 PM ET

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GNC boosts quality control of herbal supplements

The announcement comes after New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman accused GNC and other major retailers of selling herbal supplements that contained fillers and contaminants that could be harmful to consumers.

In February, Schneiderman sent letters to GNC (GNC), Wal-Mart (WMT), Target (TGT) and Walgreens asking them to stop selling popular products, such as Echinacea, Ginseng and St. John's Wort.

Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreens did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The attorney general's office said it tested herbal supplements sold by those stores in New York and that only 21% of the samples contained DNA from the plants listed on the product's labels. GNC products that were tested had contaminants including asparagus, rice, spruce, houseplant and legume, among other things.

The agreement is the first to require testing standards for herbal supplements that exceed current Food and Drug Administration requirements, according to Schneiderman.

Schneiderman said he has formed a coalition with the Connecticut and Indiana state attorneys general and authorities in Puerto Rico to investigate the business practices of the herbal supplement industry.

On Monday, GNC said it's "Herbal Plus" products were subjected to "rigorous tests" by the company and a third party. It says those tests proved conclusively that the supplements are "safe, pure, properly labeled and in full compliance with all regulatory requirements."

The company said it has restored its full line of "Herbal Plus" products at all GNC stores in New York.

Related: Wal-mart, Target and others under fire for selling bogus supplements

Still, GNC said it would expand its testing process "deeper into its supply chain" to ensure that its supplements are made using the ingredients listed on the box.

The company will also begin testing for the eight most common allergens, including tree nuts, wheat and soy. It will display signs in stores and post information on its website explaining how supplements are processed, including the difference between whole herbs and extracts.

Schneiderman has said that a failure to identify all the ingredients in herbal supplements could pose a health risk for consumers with food allergies, or those who are taking medication for an unrelated illness.

GNC, which has more than 6,600 stores in the U.S., will introduce the new policies over the next 18 months, and will submit semiannual compliance reports to the attorney general.

CEO Michael Archbold said the new procedures are "good for consumers, good for the industry and good for GNC."

The move is a major shift in the lightly-regulated market for herbal supplements, which is estimated to be worth $60 billion worldwide.

Herbal supplements are not subject to the same level of scrutiny as drugs are by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

GNC said it is fighting lawsuits that have been filed after Schneiderman made his allegations, which the company says are "completely without merit."

Related: Hedge fund manager cries over Herbalife

Video: Explaining Herbalife's alleged 'pyramid scheme'

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 10:42 AM ET

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Boom! The Dow is surging 250+ points

Yup, investors have forgotten all that. The market is back in rally mode. The Dow is up more than 260 points Monday, or 1.5%. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq both rose about 1% as well.

Here are three reasons why it's shaping up to be something that Susanna Hoffs would call "just another manic Monday."

1. The Fed is going to take things slow. Federal Reserve chair Janet Yellen got traders in a festive mood late Friday.

In a speech released just 15 minutes before the market closed, Yellen made it painstakingly clear that she does not think the United States economy is anywhere close to its full potential.

She said that the economy should be "booming" if things were back to normal and that there was "some way to go" before the labor market was back to full employment.

Related: Janet Yellen says U.S. economy is not good enough yet

That strongly suggests that Yellen and the rest of the Fed are highly unlikely to raise rates dramatically this year. The Fed is probably going to take baby steps as it lifts rates from near zero.

Investors who were worried the Fed would jeopardize the economic recovery and six-year market rally by hiking rates too quickly can breathe a huge sigh of relief.

Related: What an interest rate hike means to you

2. Merger mania. Mergers always tend to brighten the mood of investors, and several deals were announced Monday morning.

The highlight of Monday's merger wave was health insurer and Dow component UnitedHealth (UNH) agreeing to purchase pharmacy benefits manager Catamaran (CTRX) for nearly $13 billion. There were three other healthcare mergers on Monday as well.

Investors were still contemplating the possibility of Intel (INTC, Tech30) doing its largest acquisition ever too. There were reports late Friday that it was looking to buy chip company Altera (ALTR). Both stocks fell Monday as a deal has yet to materialize. But many other semiconductor stocks were rallying.

Related: Kraft and Heinz to create food giant

And all this follows the big food merger last week. Heinz, controlled by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway (BRKB) and private equity firm 3G Capital, is buying Kraft (KRFT).

3. China stimulus. One of the biggest worries that investors have dealt with this year is the possibility of a hard economic landing in China.

The Chinese economy is slowing. But China's government is taking steps to soften the impact.

The most recent initiative was the unveiling of plans to spend a lot more on infrastructure in order to promote more trade between China and Europe and Africa.

This so-called modern "Silk Road" could lead to billions of dollars invested in railroads, ports, oil pipelines and other transportation equipment.

Related: China's factories slump amid growth concerns

China's central bank has already cut interest rates twice since November. So if China is able to keep its economy from losing too much steam, that's good news for the rest of the world.

Can the rally last? it's important to note that not much has changed in the past few days.

Earnings are still likely to be weak in the first quarter. Oil prices are still low. The Greek situation remains unresolved. The Fed is going to raise interest rates.

Related: Earnings are going to stink

Stocks have been extremely volatile this year and that is likely to continue. Big mutual funds and hedge funds may also be making moves to dress up their portfolios at the end of the first quarter.

And trading volume may be light this week since there are not many key earnings and economic reports scheduled.

What's more, the stock market is closed for Good Friday -- even though the latest jobs report is coming out that day. So while Monday's rally is a nice way to start the week, don't get too excited yet.

Related: The U.S. economy is showing cracks

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 10:59 AM ET

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Trevor Noah to replace Jon Stewart as new host of 'The Daily Show'

Trevor Noah, 31, the South African comedian who is an on-air contributor on the show, will take the seat of Stewart, the longtime host who is signing off later this year.

"It's an honor to follow Jon Stewart," Noah said in a statement. "In my brief time with the show they've made me feel so welcome. I'm excited to get started and work with such a fantastic group of people."

Latest reports had Noah as the frontrunner for the position, and on Monday the comedy network confirmed those rumors.

"Trevor Noah is an enormous talent," said Comedy Central president Michele Ganeless in a statement. "For the next host of 'The Daily Show,' we set out to find a fresh voice who can speak to our audience with a keen take on the events of the day, and we found that in Trevor."

Related: Jon Stewart to sign off 'Daily Show'

The New York Times first reported the news Monday morning, and Comedy Central retweeted the Times story.

The new host of "The Daily Show," Trevor Noah.

On Monday morning, Noah also retweeted the Times story along with a tweet from Chris Rock that had a photo of Noah along with the funny caption, "Thank you, president Obama."

The pick is a surprising one considering that many high-profile names had been tossed around to replace the satirical host and that Noah is somewhat of an unknown name.

Noah made his U.S. television debut in 2012 on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," becoming the first South African standup comedian to appear on the "Tonight Show."

The young comedian has also hosted before including his own late night show in South Africa called "Tonight with Trevor Noah."

As for the man Noah will replace, Stewart, the departing host could not be happier.

"I'm thrilled for the show and for Trevor," Stewart added in the network's announcement. "He's a tremendous comic and talent that we've loved working with. ... In fact, I may rejoin as a correspondent just to be a part of it!"

Comedy Central did not say when Noah's "Daily Show" would premiere.

Noah's "Daily Show" will join Larry Wilmore's "The Nightly Show" as the new late night comedy block for the cable network.

Related: Did Comedy Central let its 3 biggest stars slip away?

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 11:16 AM ET

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This man bet $100K that there's a startup bubble

Will these "unicorns" tech firms be valued at a combined $200 billion by 2020?

Many in the industry have been sounding warning bells about a possible bubble, citing early-stage startups attracting millions in investment at sky-high valuations, despite having little or no revenue.

Last week, tech investor Sam Altman challenged bubble believers to put money where their mouths are.

Altman, who invests in young tech companies through Y Combinator, said that though there are some unreasonable valuations, he's hopeful about the future of tech. He made three predictions on where specific tech startups will be in five years' time and encouraged someone to bet against him. The wager: $100,000 in a charitable donation.

Now, Boston-based venture capitalist Michael de la Maza has taken up the challenge. For De la Maza to win, Altman has to be wrong on one of the following statements:

• These six "unicorns" (companies valued at over $1 billion) -- Uber, Palantir, Airbnb, Dropbox, Pinterest, and SpaceX -- will be worth a combined $200 billion by January 1, 2020. That's double what they're worth today, according to Altman.
• Nine mid-level Y Combinator startups -- including payments startup Stripe and bitcoin exchange firm Coinbase -- will be worth a combined $27 billion (up from less than $9 billion currently).
• Y Combinator's current batch of 114 startups ("currently worth something that rounds down to $0") will be worth $3 billion by 2020.

Interestingly, de la Maza -- who runs a $500,000 fund -- doesn't have strong beliefs on whether we are, or are not, in the midst of a tech bubble.

"People call it a bubble whenever valuations are 50% higher than they were a year ago. I think that is very uninteresting," he said. "[It is] a very information light conversation."

De la Maza said he took the bet because he wanted the opportunity to work with the startup guru -- and he believes in Altman's mission.

"I'm relatively indifferent to what the bet itself is," de la Maza said. "I think what [Altman] was trying to do was turn [the bubble] into a hypothesis that can be tracked -- to make it very clear, and allow people to concretely talk about."

Altman confirmed the bet on Sunday via Twitter. He also opened up the bet to another investor with a larger portfolio.

Danielle Morrill, CEO of Y Combinator-backed Mattermark, will track the startup portfolios in question using her firm's business intelligence software.

De la Maza , who used to play chess and poker, said he's prepared to donate to charity should he lose the bet.

He's even eying a Y Combinator-backed nonprofit as a potential recipient: Watsi, a crowd-sourced healthcare platform.

"I think it's a wonderful thing that a charity is going to receive $100,000," he said.

Related: The great tech debate: Are we in a bubble or not?

Related: 9 reason to be hopeful about the future of tech

Related: What bubble? Many social media stocks are big losers

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 11:49 AM ET

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Popular Google search: 'Why are gas prices so low?'

If you type "why are" into Google search, the top two auto-complete results are: "gas prices so low" and "oil prices falling." The next most popular forms of this question: "why are gmos bad" and "why are gas prices going up."

The uncertainty -- and rush to Google for answers -- is understandable. Even the smartest people on Wall Street didn't predict the massive supply glut that caused oil to collapse from $107 a barrel in June to just $49 today.

Gas prices tumbled for a record 123 straight days between October and January to just $2.03 a gallon on average, according to AAA. Prices at the pump have since rebounded to $2.42 a gallon, but that's still down from $3.52 around the same time last year.

Related: $2 gas is gone -- for now

Uncertainty holding back spending? The unease that's pushing people to search for an answer on Google (GOOG) could explain why cheap gas has failed to encourage more Americans to splurge on big purchases. New numbers released Monday show consumer spending inched up just 0.1% in February from January, suggesting people continue to hoard rather than spend their gas savings.

"Perhaps people are trying to first understand the nature of this rapid fall before spending extra cash on discretionary purchases, such as at the mall or car dealer," according to a report from brokerage Convergex that highlighted the Google search results.

In other words, Americans are worried that this might be just a blip and that the cheap gas may not be here to stay.

Related: Iran nuclear deal could make oil even cheaper

Sign of a recession? The confusion over the oil prices may also be driven by worries about broader economic conditions. The last time oil was this cheap the U.S. economy was in the midst of the Great Recession. Demand was falling off a cliff.

Many people were understandably concerned that the recent plunge in oil prices was a sign of another economic crisis.

Yet that does not appear to be the case. While the economy has recently begun to show some cracks, it's in far better shape than the scary days of 2008 and 2009.

Related: Why OPEC can't kill the U.S. oil boom

Supply, not demand driven: Demand is sluggish, but the real driver of the energy selloff has been swelling supplies. There's simply more oil than the world needs.

North American oil production has skyrocketed in recent years, led by the U.S. shale oil boom. Canada is also pumping out tons of oil.

Interactive: World's top oil producers

Rather than cut back on output to balance the market, OPEC -- led by Saudi Arabia -- has put its foot down and kept production steady. The cartel's strategy appears aimed at maintaining market share by squeezing high-cost producers like U.S. shale and Canadian oil sands producers.

As OPEC and the West continue to flood the market with oil, consumers could get another break at the pump from an unlikely source: Iran. If the West and Iran reach a nuclear deal, it could pave the way for Tehran to start selling lots more oil on the open market. That's definitely not going to erase that supply glut.

Related: Oil surges after Saudi strikes in Yemen

CNNMoney (New York) March 30, 2015: 12:02 PM ET

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