US STOCKS-Wall St gains ground on data, Ford shares jump

* U.S. manufacturing grows more than expected

* Pending home sales surge in September

* Ford posts profit, shares jump

* Dow up 1.2 pct, S&P up 1.1 pct, Nasdaq up 0.8 pct

* For up-to-the-minute market news, click [STXNEWS/US] (Updates to midday, changes byline)

By Leah Schnurr

NEW YORK, Nov 2 (Reuters) - U.S. stocks rose on Monday as stronger-than-expected data on manufacturing and pending home sales spurred broad-based gains following a sell-off at the end of last week.

Manufacturing activity rose to its highest level in 3-1/2 years last month, while pending home sales contracts staged a surprising surge in September, data showed, helping to soothe the recovery jitters that hit the market on Friday. For details, see [ID:nN02437173]

"The data was very much on the better side of expectations," said Nick Kalivas, vice president of financial research & senior equity index analyst at MF Global in Chicago.

The National Association of Realtors said its pending home sales index rose to the highest level in nearly three years ahead of the expiration of a popular federal tax credit for first-time home buyers.

"The pending home sales being up 6 percent was pretty shocking ... it appears people looking for bargains on foreclosures is continuing and that's helping clear out the housing market slowly but surely."

Earlier data showed euro-zone factory activity expanded for the first time in 17 months and picked up in Britain and China, suggesting a global economic recovery is under way. [ID:nSP62642].

Ford Motor Co (F.N) shares jumped 9.1 percent to $7.64 after the U.S. auto maker posted a surprising quarterly profit on cost cuts, improved credit results and increased market share. [ID:nN02411585].

The Dow Jones industrial average .DJI gained 119.79 points, or 1.23 percent, to 9,832.52. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index .SPX rose 11.60 points, or 1.12 percent, to 1,047.79. The Nasdaq Composite Index .IXIC added 15.82 points, or 0.77 percent, to 2,060.93.

Financials, materials and energy shares led the way up as indexes recouped some of Friday's losses that helped the S&P 500 end October down for the month, putting a cap on its seven-month string of gains.