Stocks were choppy Friday as market participants took a breather following Thursday's Fed-fueled rally. While buzz continued to swirl around the Federal Reserve's jumbo-sized rate cut from earlier this week, today's headlines centered mostly on single-stock news, including Nike's ( NKE) big C-suite shake-up.

Nike shares powered firmly higher in early Friday trading as analysts and investors reacted to the sportswear giant's move to replace Chief Executive John Donahoe. Nike (NKE) , which has lost around $45 billion in market value this year,

Nike shares traded sharply higher in pre-market trading Friday after the world’s largest athletic apparel and equipment company announced Elliott Hill will replace John Donahoe

The hedge fund billionaire Bill Ackman has bet big on the iconic American brand. His firm, Pershing Square, acquired three million shares, or 0.2 percent, of Nike this spring. His stake is currently worth about $250 million.