Stocks closed solidly higher Wednesday, though well off their earlier highs, as investor concerns about tariffs and Federal Reserve independence eased following comments from President Donald Trump.

The Dow, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are on pace for a second day of gains after President Trump said he won’t fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell after all, but he still pushed him to cut interest rates now.

U.S. stocks climbed Wednesday, buoyed in part by President Donald Trump’s retreat on the prospect of firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and the president’s indication that tariffs on China “will come down substantially but it won’t be zero.