After hitting an all-time high of $205 just weeks ago, shares of Internet search giant Google (GOOG) have slid 30 points amid the eBay (EBAY) earnings miss and fears of an impending lockup expiration for pre-IPO holders of the stock. Let's analyze these two events.

First, eBay's disappointing fourth quarter report and 2005 outlook. eBay is seeing growth slow down considerably. They are being forced to invest heavily in the business, domestically and even moreso abroad, to keep up the growth Wall Street has come to expect from the company. This has no direct negative effect on Google. In fact, since eBay is a large customer of Google's, higher capital expenditures at eBay could only help Google, not the other way around.

Second, the expansion of Google's lockup period that goes into effect on Valentine's Day. Sure, more supply does little to help a company's publicly traded shares, but one must look at the demand side of the equation, not just the supply side. There is plenty of demand for GOOG stock, as evidenced by its run to over $200 per share in the midst of the initial lockup expiration late last year.

The good news for Google shareholders is that the company reports its fourth quarter results on February 1st, before the lockup expires and about when investors looking to get out ahead of such an event would sell. Given the results we've seen from Yahoo (YHOO) and InfoSpace (INSP), the odds are very good that Google's results will blow the consensus out of the water. Numbers for 2005 will be ratcheted upward and euphoria over Google's financials will surely overcome any new supply of shares from the company's early investors.

With the stock at $177, down from $205 recently, shares of Google look ripe for the picking this week, ahead of the earnings release. The catalysts are there for a strong push back to new highs in the coming weeks.