B. Riley FBR analyst Thomas Curran believes the resignation of CEO Joel Gay will prove a net positive for Energy Recovery. Gay had sustained "significant reputation damage" due to how he managed the VorTeq initiative, Curran tells investors in a research note. Further, after speaking to Energy Recovery, he notes that Gay resigned "entirely for personal reasons" and that his reasons have nothing to do with the company's fundamentals. The analyst believes the company is not about to disclose any related material surprises. Curran believes Energy Recovery shares offer a "compelling" risk/reward and he's an "aggressive" buyer on today's selloff. The analyst has a Buy rating on the shares with a $20 price target. The stock in late morning trading is down 88c to $6.80.