* Misconduct charges, restructuring costs set to hit profits
* They would compound effect of record-low interest rates
* UK lenders also face investor concerns over Brexit
* Shares of five biggest collectively down 11 pct this year
By Lawrence White and Andrew MacAskill
LONDON, April 25 (Reuters) - Britain's top banks are set for one of their worst first-quarter earnings seasons since the financial crisis, adding to their struggle to win over investors against a backdrop of misconduct charges, a weak economic outlook and uncertainty over Brexit.
Despite shoring up their capital bases and paying out strong dividends, the five biggest banks - HSBC, Barclays , Standard Chartered, Lloyds Banking Group and Royal Bank of Scotland - have collectively seen their shares fall about 11 percent this year against a 1.5 percent rise in the FTSE 100.
The costs of laying off staff, compensating customers missold loan payment protection insurance and stockpiling cash to settle outstanding lawsuits and regulatory investigations are all expected to compound the hit to quarterly profits from record-low interest rates.
Most analysts expect earnings to fall at the big five banks, with Barclays, HSBC and Standard Chartered thought most likely to suffer the biggest hits because of their large investment banking operations.
The turmoil in global equities and commodities markets this year made it harder for investment banks to make money in traditional business lines such as trading and advisory. Barclays warned investors this month that its first-quarter investment banking earnings were likely to fall.
"Expectations for Q1 results are rock bottom," Bernstein analysts said of big British banks, and posed the question: "Will this be a one-off ugly set of results or is it setting up the table for a very bleak 2016?"
Standard Chartered will be the first UK lender to report results, on Tuesday, two months after announcing its first annual loss in 26 years after slashing jobs and selling unwanted businesses in a bid to cut costs.
Such restructuring exercises by other top UK banks like HSBC and Barclays have helped to control costs but left analysts uncertain as to where growth will come from given the global economic outlook and regulatory problems.
The major U.S. banks have this month set the tone for a dismal quarter, with Goldman Sachs last week joining peers in reporting plunging profits as market volatility hit its bond trading and investment banking businesses.
BREXIT
Many British banks are struggling to boost profits with interest rates at a record low.