About the Firm
L.S. Ernst Financial Group was founded to provide institutions, entrepreneurs, and private clients with independent, strategic financial advice focused on clarity, disciplined decision-making, and long-term value creation.
In today’s dynamic markets, businesses and individuals face increasingly complex financial challenges — including capital constraints, leverage considerations, cash flow volatility, and uncertainty around long-term financial strategy. Our role is to address these challenges through rigorous analysis, structured thinking, and thoughtful execution.
We operate as a trusted advisor, providing services across financial modeling, capital structure analysis, fundraising preparation, and corporate advisory. Each engagement is approached with a consistent objective: to support sound financial decisions and position clients for durable outcomes.
Grounded in principles of integrity, analytical rigor, and independence of judgment, L.S. Ernst Financial Group maintains a long-term perspective in every mandate. We focus not only on addressing immediate financial considerations, but also on strengthening the frameworks and decision processes that underpin sustained success.
Luke Ernst is the Founder and Managing Director of L.S. Ernst Financial Group, where he leads the firm’s Corporate Advisory practice with a focus on disciplined capital structuring, performance analysis, and long-term financial decision-making.
He has experience across investment banking, strategic finance, and public markets research, and currently serves as a Strategic Finance and Corporate Advisory Analyst at Cummins Worldwide, a Clearwater-based advisory and financial services firm.
Previously, he worked as an Investment Banking Analyst Intern at Communications Equity Associates (CEA Group), a boutique investment bank specializing in communications and digital infrastructure; as a Summer Associate at Profitability Partners, a fractional CFO and strategic advisory firm; and as a Hedge Fund Research Analyst Intern at Manole Capital Management, a fintech-focused investment firm.
Mr. Ernst earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance, with a Minor in Economics, from the University of Tampa in May 2025. He holds the FINRA Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) License, is a CFA Level I Candidate, and earned the Financial Modeling & Valuation Analyst (FMVA) designation from the Corporate Finance Institute (CFI) in 2025.
Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, L.S. Ernst Financial Group is a financial advisory firm dedicated to providing tailored guidance that helps firms achieve clarity, readiness, and build a lasting legacy for years to come.
