1. A method, in a data processing system, for performing a matrix multiplication operation, comprising: performing a vector load operation to load a first vector operand of the matrix multiplication operation to a first target vector register of the data processing system; performing a load and splat operation to load an element of a second vector operand and replicating the element to each of a plurality of elements of a second target vector register of the data processing system; performing a multiply add operation on elements of the first target vector register and elements of the second target vector register to generate a partial product of the matrix multiplication operation; and accumulating the partial product of the matrix multiplication operation with other partial products of the matrix multiplication operation.