Emerson dropped that threat once the sale process for National Instruments got underway.
National Instruments ended trading on Thursday at $50.62 a share.
National Instruments expects the sale process to be completed by early April, according to the sources.
National Instruments, Fortive and Keysight did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Austin, Texas-based National Instruments specializes in the production of automated testing and measurement tools for the semiconductor, transportation, aerospace and defense industries.