The January expansion to the tax-free Nippon Individual Savings Account (NISA) program was a significant boon to the market, encouraging Japanese individuals to focus more on investing over saving. Kishida's second-highest rating was on raising wages and ending deflation, with an average score of 3.7. [...] Kishida received an average score of 3.6 on industrial policy, partly for courting semiconductor makers. [...] "Investors overseas now have a favourable view of Kishida's government, and stock prices could plunge if he does not run in the next LDP leadership race," said Takatoshi Itoshima, strategist at Pictet Asset Management Japan.