The euro could lose as much as 13pc in value over the next three months, according to one of Ireland's top economists. Dr. Dan McLaughlin, chief economist at Bank of Ireland, today said he expects the euro to end 2003 between parity and USD1.05, which means the single currency would have to lose between 8.4pc and 12.8pc by December. At 1600 today, the euro was worth USD1.1470, having hit USD1.15 earlier in the week. "The dollar advance, fuelled by the recovery in the global economy, is set to continue," McLaughlin said. He added that the euro will trade in a 67-71p range against sterling, with a bias to the upside for the UK currency, given the acceleration in British growth. The single currency has suffered in recent months as traders unwound long euro positions and after a sharp rise in bond yields prompted Japanese and US investors to repatriate funds for higher yields at home. The euro plunged from over USD1.19 in late May to USD1.08 earlier this month. //www.fxcentre.com