U.S. stock indexes eased from intraday record highs on Monday, dragged down by Microsoft and other mega-cap technology stocks, while data showed U.S. manufacturing activity slowed in October amid supply chain disruptions. All the major indexes had scaled new peaks earlier in the session, with the blue-chip Dow hitting 36,000 points for the first time. The Institute for Supply Management (ISM) said its index of national factory activity slipped to a reading of 60.8 last month, as a measure of new orders dropped to a 16-month low and factories continued to experience delays with deliveries of raw materials. The report came ahead of the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting on Nov. 2–3, when the central bank is expected to announce the tapering of its $120 billion monthly bond buying program amid rising price pressures. Still, investors have looked past a mixed macro economic picture, helped by a largely upbeat earnings season. …