The World Gold Council, a U.K.-based industry group funded by producers, said new methods for reporting mining costs will help spur investment.

The WGC published guidance on presenting “all-in” costs to give investors a better understanding of producers’ profit margins and help them compare performance. Such costs exceed traditional cash costs because they include expenses such as capital spending, administration and exploration.

“There is that desire for further consistency and transparency on costs,” Terry Heymann, director of responsible gold at the London-based council, said by telephone. “There have certainly been a lot of calls from the investor community for a new form of reporting that looks at all-in costs.”

Gold-mining stocks, which have underperformed the precious metal for the past six years, are seeking to lure investors back after money-losing takeovers and budget blowouts sapped returns. Cash costs averaged $771 an ounce in the first quarter, 43 percent higher than two years earlier, according to data from 12 of the biggest miners compiled by Bloomberg.

“It does provide further transparency and help people understand the economics of gold mining,” Heymann said. “There have been a number of calls from the investor community over recent months for a more consistent metric.”