iPod Is the Hottest Holiday Gift, Poll Says

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Apple's(AAPL Quote) iPod is expected to be the must-have gift-giving item this holiday season, according to users of TheStreet.

The mp3 device garnered 42.2% of the vote in our weeklong poll, following Apple's better-than-expected earnings release this week.

Sales jumped 25% in its fourth quarter, on strong demand for Macs and iPhones. And while those two products topped Apple's sales, iPod sales, which include the iPod Touch, reached 10.2 million units sold.

Shares of the company grew 8.4% to end the week at $203.94.

The next-hottest gift is not as flashy. TheStreet users (25.1%) said the second most popular present this holiday season would be a Wal-Mart (WMT Quote) gift card.

While a survey conducted by Archstone Consulting said Wal-Mart gift card sales are expected to be flat to down by 5%, as Wal-Mart continues to lower prices, gift-givers may well view these cards as carrying the most bang for the buck.

The behemoth discounter revealed this week during its two-day annual meeting that it will roll back prices on thousands of items each week during the holiday season. Already, Wal-Mart has reduced prices on toys and books.

Amazon's(AMZN Quote) Kindle ranked third with 16.7% of the vote. On Thursday, the e-retailer posted a 69% surge in its third-quarter earnings, which it attributed primarily to Kindle sales.