*

Key monthly jobs report due Friday

*

ISM manufacturing activity at 48.7 in Nov, beating

estimates

*

Indexes: Dow down 0.3%, S&P 500 up 0.2%, Nasdaq up 1%

(Updates with volume, stock moves)

By Caroline Valetkevitch

NEW YORK, Dec 2 (Reuters) - The Nasdaq and S&P 500

scored record closing highs on Monday, boosted by tech-related

shares following the market's strong November gains, as

investors awaited this week's economic data including the key

monthly jobs report on Friday.

The Dow finished lower on the day. Both the Dow and S&P

500 recorded on Friday their biggest monthly percentage gains in

a year.

The technology, communication services

and consumer discretionary sectors rose

about 1% each on Monday, while the rest of the S&P 500 sectors

were lower. Tesla shares advanced 3.5%, with Stifel

raising its price target on the stock.

"We're seeing a market that's in a seasonably strong

period just creep higher," said Rick Meckler, partner at Cherry

Lane Investments, a family investment office in New Vernon, New

Jersey.

"It's a tough time for people to bail out, but by the same

token, I don't see an explosive finish to the year. There's just

too much uncertainty to where we're headed. ... No one is quite

sure what the plan is economically with the new administration."

Former U.S. President Donald Trump recaptured the White

House in last month's election and his Republican Party swept

both houses of Congress, boosting stocks in November.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 128.65 points,

or 0.29%, to 44,782.00. The S&P 500 rose 14.77 points, or

0.24%, to 6,047.15 and the Nasdaq Composite climbed

185.78 points, or 0.97%, to 19,403.95.

Strategists have cited Trump's potential plans for tax cuts

and deregulation as a positive for stocks, but tariffs would be

negative.

Investors also digested comments from Federal Reserve

Governor Christopher Waller that he was inclined to cut the

benchmark interest rate at the Dec. 17-18 meeting as monetary

policy remained restrictive.

Investors have been expecting a quarter-point rate cut in

December, but recent inflation data has raised worries that

progress may have stalled.

The Fed began reducing rates in September by a half a point,

following that with a quarter-point cut in November.

Earlier on Monday, the Institute for Supply Management

reported improved U.S. manufacturing activity in November.

Aside from Friday's hotly anticipated employment report,

investors this week also will see private sector job growth

data, the ISM's services report and the Labor Department's

weekly jobless claims.

Super Micro Computer ( SMCI ) surged 28.7% after the

artificial intelligence server maker began searching for a new

finance chief based on recommendations by a special committee

formed to review its accounting practices.

Declining issues outnumbered advancers by a 1.08-to-1 ratio

on the NYSE. There were 406 new highs and 64 new lows on the

NYSE.

On the Nasdaq, 2,332 stocks rose and 2,060 fell as

advancing issues outnumbered decliners by a 1.13-to-1 ratio.

Volume on U.S. exchanges totaled 13.64 billion shares,

compared with the 14.74 billion full-session average over the

last 20 trading days.